Novel: Shining Bright
by GreenNightStar
Summary: What if two people, who were still much immature to the actual world and life, were taken to a place where society did not exist? NVL BWEN;- BxG
1. Chapter 1: Gone Fishing

Chapter 1: _**Gone Fishing**_

"_I'd say I'd miss you, but..." Their heads moved close to each other, and for a second they both believed a spark was forming between them._

"_I wouldn't want to lie," the two shouted, with a smile that spoke competitive words. They both wanted the last word on the other, to let that person know they wouldn't be missed, but neither could get that last remark. So they settled on evening it out together._

_Gwen climbed back into the run-down RV, nicknamed the Rust Bucket, with her grandfather Maxwell Tennyson. They had just finished spending the entire summer with him._

_The diesel engine to the Rust Bucket fired up with a smooth huffing noise, which was very good for the age of it, and it soon began to cruise down the neighborhood road._

_Ben watched with a forlorn expression as the, probably, most fun time and most life-changing experience he had ever gone through was whisking away in a now-familiar and welcomed mobile home._

_He remembered how comforting the cramped space was, as he sat in front of Gwen. They were all together and could not wait for the next interesting thing to happen to them. The minute he had found the Omnitrix, his life took a turn for the better. Gwen had even discovered that she withheld a magical aura._

_That was all over, and he had not been to happy about it. His life was going back into a dull and forced stage. But one thing gave him hope to go on, something that he had never thought he would lay his young eyes on._

_In the back of the far-off Rust Bucket – appearing in the large window – a brightly-orange-haired girl moved the gray curtains away and looked back at her cousin. He never would have thought that she would do what happened next. A faint smile crept up her cheeks and her eyes looked drawn, almost sad that they were leaving each other's company._

**. . .**

"Ben! Are you sure you have everything you need?" Sandra, Ben Tennyson's mother, called from the top of the stairs as her son sat slouched over a blue couch in the living room watching commercials on the television.

"Of course I do mom, it's not like we're spending the whole summer with him this time. He's just taking us fishing. We'll be gone like a day."

Sandra sighed. Sometimes she believe that Ben just did not care if he would forget anything important, he never seemed to be prepared for anything. He always thought that taking any situation head on would suffice.

"Well, if you think you're ready, then just be listening for Max. I'll be in the shower, and probably won't see you when you leave. So bye, and I love you."

"Love you too, mom," Ben groaned as his twelve-year-old body adjusted to sprawl out over the couch. He heard his mother's footsteps as she headed toward her bedroom at the end of the upstairs hallway.

Ben eyed the seventy-inch flat-screen TV that was in front of him. A commercial on laundry detergent was hogging the air-time away from a series he had started watching not too long ago. It was a wild-life survival show were a guy would be put in the middle of a harsh climate and have to figure out ways to stay alive off of the natural anomalies in the area. It was interesting to see how he would fare, but Ben never actually took to memorizing any of the stuff the man actually tried to teach his viewers. Some things might have been placed at the back of his memory, but it was possible they were not there at all and he was just hallucinating.

Usually, he would have been watching Sumo Slammers but the series stopped producing anymore of its original episodes. A new team of writers and producers had come in and decided to make a sequel to the original, and it was just plain terrible. Kejing, one of the kings from the original series, had been replaced because he was kicked out of the town by angry protestors. It did not make sense, as he had been the kindest, and most generous, dynasty leader in the history of Sumo Slammers.

Ben shook his head at the bad memory. It was amazing at how well people could take a good TV show and drown it in useless drama.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door and the brunette preteen could guess exactly who it was. Max Tennyson, his grandfather.

He got up to go open the door and was glad to see his little prediction proved to be true. In the open doorway stood a jolly looking older man with white, short hair and a gleaming smile.

"Benjamin!" Max exclaimed as he opened his arms and squeezed Ben's body with a deadly embrace.

"Uh yeah," the boy wheezed, "it's great to see you too."

Releasing his grandson, Max stepped inside the house and stretched – his eyes wandering around.

"So, where's you mother and father?"

"Mom's in the shower and Dad is at work. He couldn't get today off because of a horrible leak in the city's drainage system."

"That doesn't sound too good, might be a job for an old plumber like me." The elderly man elbowed Ben on the shoulder and they both smiled. Max was not just the typical plumber, and had a much larger and more interesting background.

"Mom said that I could leave when you got here. I already said goodbye."

"Great, that's more time we can use to get a start on the boat ride and fishing. If you have never been deep-sea fishing then you're going to love this."

Ben picked up a small duffel bag that he packed a few essentials in. It contained simply a new change of clothes, his bathing suit in case he decided to jump in the ocean for a swim, and a life jacket. He had told his mother that the boat would probably have ten of the jackets, but she would not take no for an answer. Sometimes she could over-prepare for simple situations.

"I'm ready," the boy announced.

Max nodded and moved to the side, holding his arm out in a gesture for Ben to go first. As soon as they both exited the house, Max closed the front door with a soft click and turned to see Ben walking down the house sidewalk.

Ben's mind was reliving past memories from two years ago when he was ten years old. The first time his parents had decided that his whole summer was to be spent outdoors camping with his grandfather, Ben had felt as though his life was over.

It all got worse when he noticed someone else was coming with them, someone who he had disliked so much that he would not even speak to her when their families got together. Gwen Tennyson.

He had walked into the Rust Bucket and expected the whole trip to be just him and Max, but when he entered the RV he noticed that she was sitting at the table near the right-side window. Her face had then been a sign of despair and hopelessness. He had began to think that he would not be able to survive that summer.

But it all changed when he got the Omnitrix. He gained the power to protect, and save, other people. It was, at first, just for fun and he did not care much for being selfless. But one time, a weird clown by the name of Zombozo had kidnapped Gwen and realization struck him.

He had never believed that any of the bad guys would actually go for anyone but him, and when they did it put a lot more strain on his heroic statutes.

Of course, Ben began to start looking out for other people that were in danger, but he always felt like she was his top priority. She had to be safe before he would even think about saving anyone else. His attachment caused him to began to talk with her, to follow her around, but his teasing would only get worse.

Sometimes he felt bad about calling her names like "geek-face", because she was only being herself when she felt interested in a study-subject. But for some reason, he just could not be himself around any girl. Kai was probably the worst example.

Kai Greene was a Native American girl that he had met on an Indian reserve. She seemed very interested in heroes and ancient traditions, so Ben tried to play it as though he were an emotionless, but extremely selfless hero – which was definitely not in his character at all.

"Ben, you just gonna stand there and look like you're about to change your mind, or are you coming with?" Max asked as he stood by the Rust Bucket, holding the heavy metal door open.

Ben blinked a few times and then shook his head. "Sorry Grandpa, I was just...thinking about how great the ocean is going to look."

"Well, I'm sure it will look even better when we really get there."

Ben climbed up the metal stairs and felt the familiar sensation of the RV rocking in the direction of his weight. It even creaked and groaned as if it were one large metal bear.

He then turned his head to the right and spied yet another familiar spot. It was the table where he first saw Gwen on that summer day, but this time there was no one to fill the spot on the bench. It was empty and ghostly, like she had been a memory and never reality.

Ben sighed heavily, and continued his way into the Rust Bucket where he placed his bag on the floorboard just beside the bathroom door – at the edge of the way into the back bedroom where he and his cousin had slept. He just did not get that happy and free feeling like he had the summer they traveled the country together.

"Alright Grandpa, I'm all set to go," Ben said as he placed himself into the bench by the window on the right side.

"You might be, but someone else isn't," Max replied while fidgeting with the ignition.

"Oh, the RV's having some problems?"

"No no, she's fine, but I meant that we have to kill some time for your cousin to be ready."

"Gwen's coming too?" The brunette boy exclaimed with unreal joy.

Max continued to toy with the keyhole on the ignition panel until he finally seemed assured that whatever he had been doing did some actual good.

"Yep, sure is. I don't know why though, because the first time I called her she said she would pass on the offer. But a couple days earlier I got another call from her saying that she wanted to come. Whatever the reason, I'm just glad we all three get to spend a bit more time together after all these years."

Ben stopped listening during Max's little explanation and began to smile and look blankly in front of him. He was a bit nervous to see her after so long, but at the same time he was glad. Yet another little adventure that they would take on. Though, it was just fishing.

"So what do you think we should do until she's ready?" Ben was a bit eager to find something to kill the time he had to wait.

Max stood straight up and stared at him. He was a good six foot and had a muscular, but rounded, structure. Any many his age would be lucky to have such fitness.

"I was thinking you and I could go grab some ice cream or a smoothy. Your mom has told me how much you have began to like smoothies."

_Smoothies,_ Ben thought, _yeah I guess that would be the best thing for me to enjoy at the same time as waiting for time to go by._ "Sure, that sounds good."

Max nodded and planted himself into the driver's seat, starting the engine with ease. Ben heard the familiar and smooth huffing noise coming from it - at least there was one thing that had not changed ever since the last time he had actually rode in the Rust Bucket.

**. . .**

The two of them sat in a brightly-colored and cold smoothy parlor. The floors were tiled a classic black and white and much of the metal on counters, tables, and chairs was covered with chrome plating. It all looked quite vintage, like an old 70s diner.

Ben sunk down in his seat and kept a hand on the cold glass which contained his orange-cream flavored ice beverage. He slurped in slow, but large gulps to savor the great feeling of such wondrous taste entering his mouth.

Max held up his smoothy as if it were an unknown piece of technology. "So uh...when did you actually start liking these...things?"

"I don't really know," Ben answered, "My family was just out and decided to get a cold drink and they offered me a smoothy. I think they're awesome."

"Yes..." his grandfather replied skeptically while eying the curved glass, "_awesome_."

The two sat in silence for a while and overlooked the rest of the small restaurant. There were a few other people, but they had ice cream bowls and nobody seemed to even want to try a smoothy. The slushy drink did not have the same effect on other people as it did Ben.

"So Grandpa, is Gwen ready yet?" Ben almost regretted asking the question. After all, it would seem awkward that he would continue to bring her name up.

"I'm not sure, I'll check my phone. Who knows, maybe she sent a message?" Max lifted himself up slightly and reached around to his back pocket, pulling out an outdated flip phone. "Hmm, it says she sent a text, but Gwen uses such small print I can't read it. Could you do it for me, Ben?"

"Sure no problem." Ben took the phone from his grandfathers hand and pressed a button to make the message on screen open so he could read its contents.

His eyes squinted to read the little words that were contained in the electronic box. They were quite small, but he could still make out what they were. Ben read them in a normal fashion and tone in his head.

_Hey Grandpa, I just finished getting ready so you can come pick me up whenever you get Ben. Oh and could you please make sure that dweeb takes a shower first? I don't want to see him and have to smell BO the whole time we're out._

Ben's eyes scanned over the message once more just to make sure he got it all right. After reading, he looked up and handed the phone back to Max – quite irritated by what he had saw.

"So what did she say?" the older man asked while pocketing his phone.

"Nothing really, but she said she was ready to be picked up."

"Oh good, then we can just get her after you're done with-"

"No," Ben cut him off, pushing his smoothy away from his grip, "I'm done with it, we can just head over there now."

"Well...alright."

The two got up from the table and made their way out of the parlor. As soon as the double-glass doors opened, a wave of warm air and a cool breeze hit them. It felt refreshing and rejuvenating, like when someone sits in a chlorine pool for a while and then quickly jumps into a warm jacuzzi.

_Of course she probably still thinks I'm a total loser who doesn't know my right from left, because I acted like that last time._ He walked with a frustrated expression plastered over his face, following his grandfather through the parking lot.

Max opened the Rust Bucket's door and allowed Ben to head in first, he soon followed after. The brunette preteen headed back to the place where he had originally been sitting, at the table-bench setup.

Planting himself in the felted seat, he faced away from Max so that he would not see him cross his arms – or notice the aggravated face he was imitating.

"We should be there in under ten minutes. So don't get too comfortable, I'm sure you two will be comparing who grew the most, or changed the most."

Max gave a hearty laugh, something he did when he thought of something as truly funny or just plain humorous. His grandchildren always competing was one of those things.

Ben thought about the last time he had seen Gwen. Her hair had been just below her shoulders, probably by an inch, and it was an amazing bright orange color and very smooth. Her face was coated with a creamy smooth skin that any model would be jealous of, and her eyes were just a tad almond shaped – almost like she had a tinge of Asian somewhere in her heritage.

He then thought about himself. In the past two years he had grown taller, probably reaching about five foot and his hair had gotten a bit longer. The waves of intertwined locks that stranded from the top of his head passed just over his eyes before flaring up, as if he had used hair gel to form it. Although, he never put any sort of product in it and it was naturally styled.

The one feature that he and Gwen both shared were their alien-green eyes. Nobody that they had ever met had such bright and noticeable eye color, and he always felt like it connected them somehow. Maybe it was him hallucinating, or dreaming – again, but that was what he really wanted to believe. He wanted ever so badly to find some common thing that he shared with her.

However, now the one thing that was stuck on his mind – blinding and blocking out any other memory – was: How much has she changed? Ben tried to picture Gwen with her same short hair, but just a little taller, but he was sure that two years did more to her than that. At the same time he was also worried about what she might think of him. From his grandfather's text, he already knew she still thought of him as her disgusting moronic cousin.

The anxiety he was letting overcome him was unnatural for a boy his age, but then again, a lot of things were unnatural about Ben Tennyson. Not many twelve-year olds had an alien device stuck to their wrist that let them become an alien whenever they felt like it. At least, not many that he knew.

Then he thought about Gwen again, and her magicks. She also had powers that no one else her age had – no matter how much she did not like it, she was not normal either. Gwen's powers were awoken by Charmcaster, when the witch inhabited her body.

His feeble mind then snapped back to the question he had asked himself just moments ago. They did share something in common, and that was being different from anyone else. He and Gwen were both outcasts from their typical age group because of the things they could do. Gwen, of course, could suppress her abnormality better because there was nothing constantly visible about her magic. Ben, on the other hand, was stuck with a large wrist-device.

He stopped thinking about anything else when he felt the RV slow down and then come to a complete halt.

"Well, we're here. Come on Ben, let's go greet your cousin. And don't make her feel bad about the way she has done her hair now, because she is very sensitive about it."

"Wait...what's wrong with her hair?" Ben questioned, startled by the revelation.

"Nothing is _wrong _with it, but like I said earlier, I know you two will be teasing and competing about who changed the most – just leave her hair out of it all. Understand?"

Ben gave an unwilling nod. He was wondering what Gwen had done to herself that would make her feel so fragile about her own appearance. Maybe she had gotten a buzz cut, or maybe she put her hair in a mohawk?

_Really Ben?_ His subconscious butted in on his outrageous thinking. _Of course she didn't do any of those things, that's just not Gwen-like_.

"Then what could she have done..." he wondered

Max had already exited the Rust Bucket, and Ben could hear happy voices greeting him outside. Ben stood up and walked over towards the door. He took a deep breath, a bit scared to see his cousin. His heart was pounding, and he knew that most people would never feel so worried just to meet their own family.

Opening the large, swinging, and heavy door, Ben walked out of the RV and onto soft green grass that looked like it had been cared and treated for every week.

The noises he had heard all stopped and he knew everyone's attention was on him. His eyes began to towards the people in front of him. They were all watching him, like he was some lost boy that had just come from a forest.

Ben went down the line of people before him. There was a tall, skinny man who he recognized as his Uncle Frank, and a woman who was quite short with a dirty-blond colored hair – that was Aunt Lili. And next to her was someone who seemed familiar, but there was also a difference that set his memories off. Was it Gwen?

The young girl he was eyeballing had bright orange, and silky hair, and her eyes were slightly almond shaped – but were still average enough to let people know she was Caucasian. As soon as his eyes locked with her, he was sure it was Gwen. Only one person had such bright green eyes, other than himself.

But there was something quite different about her. Of course, she was taller – much taller than he last remembered, but her hair had changed.

It was not just below her shoulders, it was much longer. It reached down to the middle of her back, and hugged her body slightly – giving a curling effect. And her bangs, which she had pushed over to one side and clipped with a beret, had grown so long that they reached passed the bottom of her face. She still kept them in a beret, but they were split this time. She had two berets clipping them apart from each other in a similar style she had done two years ago. They slid down the sides of her cheeks and passed her chin – making fantastic points.

He had never witnessed such change in anyone, and yet it was so amazing and welcomed. If anyone could come close to how Juliet's beauty in _Romeo and Juliet _was described, it was Gwen.

"Uh..." Ben made a stuttering noise as his eyes never left his cousin's.

"Ben!" his Aunt Lili shouted happily, breaking the awkward moment of silence and rushing over to give her nephew a tight hug. "You've grown so much!"

"Hey...Aunt...Lili, um...you have too." Ben grimaced at his words, as they were not the best to tell a person of age. Although, he kept his own gaze on Gwen as she began to turn red with embarrassment. She put one hand up to her mouth and laughed softly, her eyes, though, kept staring into his.

"So Dad," Frank started while walking up to Max and placing a hand on his shoulder, "you think this little fishing trip won't bring home anymore surprises?"

Max looked at him and laughed. "No no, I think it's safe to say that this will be just a normal day on a boat. Nothing bad or good happening. Just the three of us out enjoying a little fresh sea air."

"Well I hope it suits them, Gwen has been pestering us about when the day is going to come up."

"Oh she has? That doesn't sound much like her, you know, all organized and clean-up style."

Frank nodded and agreed with his testimony. "I know. Ever since you mentioned the trip she has been acting strange lately. But what can I say? She's becoming a teenager and probably taking on new interest. I'm just glad none of it involves dating."

"Can't wait for that day, can you?"

The look on Frank's face was grim. "Oh tell me about it."

Max leaned back and stretched himself a bit. "I would, but we need to get going. Only have a day with these guys, and I want to make the most of it."

The two exchanged a quick hug of goodbye and stood facing the rest of the crowd.

"Now Ben, you have to tell me all about those little girlfriends at school you must have. Being such a big hero, I'm sure the girls are just clinging to your feet!" Lili exclaimed with a parental curiousity.

"Come on now, hun, let the boy be. They have to leave soon or they'll miss their _exciting_ fishing adventure, wouldn't want to keep them away from that now would we?" Frank added in, trying to save Ben from an odd conversation.

"Oh of course not, I guess I'll find out later. Goodbye Ben – and don't forget!"

Ben glanced at his uncle, nodding a slight thank you and then returning his gaze back to Lili.

"Bye Aunt Lilie...and um...I won't. Don't worry."

The short woman smiled a grin which seemed to be full of happiness. "And goodbye to you my grown-up Gwen. I love you."

Gwen, who had been quietly standing next to her grandfather, looked towards her mother. "Bye mom, I love you too."

"Well then," Max concluded, "Lets all get in and head out. I just can't wait to feel that salt-water air on my face. Oh how I miss it."

"You can dream later Grandpa," Ben barged in on his thoughts, "lets get there first."

The three travelers left with one last goodbye to Gwen's parents and finally settled inside the Rust Bucket. Gwen had not brought along any sort of bag to carry anything with, she simply came as she was.

Max sat in the drivers seat at the front and turned the ignition, allowing the vehicle to go through a sensation of rumbles and creaks.

Ben and Gwen sat across from the other at the table – their eyes averting each others gaze now. Ben's mind was in a whirl at how much his cousin had changed – he just could not believe anyone could become so much...more different in only two years.

Another thought also crossed his mind, that he had until now ignored and put off. It was his own cousin who he felt so drawn towards – but it was not just her pure beauty.

Of course, Gwen could be described with the best and most delightful poems and words, but something else about her kept Ben clinging on to the mere thought of her. It was simply her personality. No one he knew was simply so great at adapting to bad situations, and him finding the Omnitrix on that summer vacation two years ago was a great example. She had also shown him that, no matter how many times she said she could not stand him, Gwen always seemed to be the person to worry for him – even if he did not do so himself.

Maybe he liked her so much because he really had not got to know any other girls, but now that he knew so much about Gwen, he did not want to get to know anymore girls. His own head was set on thriving just for her, he yearned to see her all the time. It could be just a phase, and soon his mind would move on – because he knew that showing any real affection for someone such as his own cousin was just wrong.

He even clung to a picture of them at Camille's wedding, which had turned into a disaster after the bride's parents – who were aliens – tried to _postpone_ the marriage by attempting to kill the groom. Of course, he and a few retired plumbers were there to stop the attacks.

The silence that was between them was fragile, like a prized vase that sits openly in a rich persons house, or that of a glass statue. Their breathing was audible, but muffled by the heavy sounds of the RV's engine.

"So Gwen, how's school been? You keeping up with your grades?"

Gwen breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad that her grandfather spoke – as neither her nor Ben felt ready enough to speak to the other.

"Yeah Grandpa, I'm doing great in school. My teachers might be a bit weird at times, especially when someone is trying to be funny in class, but it's all good. I've even been on the A Honor Roll this whole year." Her face was gleaming and showing how proud she was of her studies. Not even an elephant was strong enough to get her nose out of the books.

"That's great. I'm sure you'll be coming out as the brightest when you head off to college."

"Thanks. My mom thinks so too. I just hope you both are right." She then turned back around, twisting her body and swinging her arms a bit too openly. They brushed right across Ben's, which had been placed spread apart on the plastic-top table.

Gwen drew a quick breath at the feel of her skin touching his. It was sudden and seemed to break that fragile moment that they had been sitting in. It was like a whole lake of ice melting at once.

"Hey watch it!" Ben cried out, although the words were completely accidential. He was just so used to saying defensive things at or around her. After all, that's what he had done each time they were near each other on a non-essential occasion two years earlier.

Gwen sighed, a bit disappointed to hear him say something so...familiar. In her mind, he did not seem to of changed and was probably still that little annoying boy. Save for the fact that his hair made him look much more heroic...and stronger...and tougher...and more mature. She was just about to throw some insult at him when she really began to take in his new appearance.

Quickly, she shook her head in disbelief. "Ben!"

"What?" he replied with astonishment, why had she yelled?

"Stop staring at me."

"I wasn't the one staring, you were looking at me like I was some guy from a modeling magazine."

The young girl's cheeks began to turn red with embarrassment of being called out for what she had really been doing. "How would you know if I was looking at you if you weren't looking at me?"

"Uh...news flash, I'm a super hero remember?" Ben slid back in the soft bench seat and crossed his arms. "Besides, things like knowing when people are looking at you are natural for people like me."

"People like you?"

"Super heroes...Gwen."

Gwen rolled her eyes. She definitely remembered her cousin acting so childish. It was just hard to believe that he had not seemed to of matured at all. "More like super dweeb."

Meanwhile, Max was listening in on their conversation and bobbing his head side to side as if listening to a melody.

"Music to my ears," he remarked casually to himself, glad that they were all back together – even if it were just for a harmless fishing trip.

For the next hour or so, the Rust Bucket glided down crowded city streets and sat at traffic lights for ungodly amounts of time. Ben and Gwen continued to compare their lives with each other and brag about certain privileges they had gotten since they were almost teenagers. Gwen would talk about being able to cook dinner a few times with her family while Ben came back with his dad letting him drive the car in a parking lot – once. For everything one said, the other had a come-back.

Max toyed with the steering wheel, dodging lanes that were backed up and congested by people who would either drive too slow, or had driven too fast and got into a disruptive accident. And whenever there was some sort of crash or collision, everyone else that was driving always had to slow down and inspect it as if they were police officers themselves.

"It's really a beauty," the older man said to himself as he looked out the front windshield. Just past the tall, gray buildings of the city was a sea port full of docks and fishing boats. It sat on the edge of a seemingly-endless amount of water. The blue crystalline appearance it had sparkled as the bright sunshine from a nice June summer day reflected upon it as if it were merely glass.

Just then, Ben came up beside Max and threw himself into the large leather passenger seat.

"Grandpa!" he whined, "Gwen thinks that she's saved me more times then I've saved her!"

A brief moment later, Gwen came up and put her arm on the seat Ben was resting in – staring down at him with annoyance.

"Of course I have. You remember when Charmcaster took over our bodies and we got switched? Who was the one that used the Omnitrix to get us out?"

Ben huffed. "That was me! You barely knew what to do with it!"

"Even so, what about that time on Xenon when those two ships were about to come crashing down on you? Who saved you then, because it definitely wasn't the Omnitrix – which, by the way, was completely useless at the time."

Ben stopped to remember the little event back on the desolate planet. His Omnitrix had been set to self-destruct, and Azmuth had refused to give him help. Vilgax ended up attacking them, but even without the alien watch Ben still put up a fight with a blaster rifle.

He also remembered how he had watched Gwen get grabbed by one of the Wild Vine aliens in the compound under a mountain while on that planet. She had been taken and pulled down into a lair of them all – he tried his hardest to get her back, and even risked self-destructing himself and the Omnitrix to get her back. But it had been no use. He was sure he had watched her die.

But during the battle outside the compound, two ships were coming towards him ready to fire whatever fire power at him they had. Before they could, something destroyed them from a range – they had been encased in a transparent blue magick and crushed.

He knew the only person that had powers like that, but at the time he did not want to believe it. Through smoke and ash, it seemed, she had come back alive and was standing high up on a rock with her hand up in the air. If only she knew how seeing her face – alive and well – meant to him.

Quickly, Ben stepped back into the argument. "Oh yeah? What about the time when Kevin used my powers and turned into Heat Blast then tried to burn you completely alive? I was the one who went Diamond Head and shielded you!"

"So what," Gwen said, "I would have done...something."

"You were standing there with your arms around your head like you could block fire...with your shirt!"

"Guys guys!" Max called out. "It doesn't matter who saved who the most times. Look, I know you both want to be better than the other, but I don't think that's gonna happen. You two make a great team out there, but let's put that all aside for now. We're going to have a nice relaxing day on the fishing boat out in the sea. I don't really want to listen to you two compare yourself or argue. Understand?"

"But Grandpa she-"

"Understand?" he repeated once more with more authority in his tone.

"Yes, we do," both Ben and Gwen said with a defeated tone. Their little antics had been crushed by their grandfather – who was more interested in thinking about his day on a boat rather than hearing them brag about who was a better hero.

"Alright then, we're almost there. When we get to the docks, we'll grab some snacks for the boat ride and then get right to it. Isn't this exciting?"

Ben leaned to one side, resting his head on his hand which was supported by the chair's armrest. "Yeah, _so _exciting."

That earned him a flick on the ear by Gwen. She whispered to him very softly. "Could you be anymore rude? Grandpa is happy he finally gets to see us again, and you're acting like you don't care."

"Well, I'm sorry if I'm not too excited about fishing!" he whispered back to her. She shrugged hopelessly and backed away from him.

They drove for a about thirty more minutes before stopping at a very large dock which housed quite a few boats and shops. They would have made it sooner, but constant traffic jams were quite frequent in tightly-packed cities. The air there was cool and it smelt of salt water, almost as if they were actually under the ocean. The only thing missing was the water itself.

The three walked up onto the wooden platform and could hear the crashing noises of waves beneath them. The water looked very calm as they gazed outwards on the horizon, and they could see no land anywhere off of the coast.

Max breathed in a big breath of the salty air. "Mmm, I've missed this smell. Alright, I'll be in the deli just over there," he pointed to a small yellowish-white building about twenty feet away. "The boat I rented is at the end of this dock. I trust that you two can sit in it and wait for me. Gwen, keep a good eye on your cousin. I should be back in fifteen minutes."

"Don't worry Grandpa, Ben won't do anything stupid. Right Ben?" she glared down at him with a serious look, as if telling him: Don't mess this up.

The brunette boy simply crossed his arms and turned his head.

Max looked at them both once more and shook his head, then turned to walk off into the sandwich store to get food for them.

"Come on, let's go check out that boat," Gwen stated and started to walk along the wooden dock.

She had only taken a few steps before she learned that nobody was following her. Abruptly, she quit moving and turned around to see Ben still pouting, but staring at her.

"Are you coming, dweeb, or what?"

For a moment she was sure he would not respond, and he only looked angrily at her.

"Why do you always do that Gwen?" he finally spoke.

The orange-haired girl was slightly confused. "Do what?"

"What you did back there? You always talk to me like I'm a little kid or something. Well I've got news for you, I'm not."

"Now you're just acting stupid. Let's go before Grandpa thinks we can't handle this."

"And why do you always call me names? What have I really done to make you think that I hate you?"

Gwen allowed her body to fully turn around and she placed her hands on her hips – pushing one of her bereted bangs out of her green eyes.

"Well, let's see. _You_ call _me_ names, you pull pranks on me, you always say that my hobbies are stupid and geeky. Why wouldn't I think that you hate me?"

Ben's eyes looked pathetic, as the truth finally was placed in front of him for his simple mind to comprehend. He raced back through memories of each and everything Gwen had listed – and he had done them several, if not, hundreds of times.

"I've tried to like you, Ben," she continued – letting her hearts complex burden and inner anger come out in fury, "and I've even tried to make you feel better when you were sad. When Xylene came to take Grandpa away, I sat beside you under the stars – just so you wouldn't sit alone. When Kai rejected you, I defended you and even tried to tell you that there are lots of other people out in the world so you wouldn't think about what had happened so much. I even offered to let you hit me – to try and cheer you up – when Grandpa had gotten hurt! Really Ben, I don't know what else to do. You just hate me! Plain and simple!"

Gwen took a deep breath, she was glad to actually be able to say all of those things instead of keeping them bottled up inside. But something was happening to her that she did not realize would be an effect of her rants. She was crying.

Ben's jaw was slack and his eyes wide – looking at his cousin who was now letting her head hang down and quiet sobs were coming from her sulking figure. He suddenly felt guilty – he had only done such cruel things to her to get her attention. It is hard for people to jump and say that they actually like somebody – especially a girl, and even more so, his cousin.

Gwen was not the type of person that needed everyone's approval or attention. Sometimes she would like to be left alone, and she would never incriminate herself just to get noticed by anyone like a boy at her school. She was herself in more ways than one, and if that meant that some people would tease her for it then she was prepared for that. But she had never thought that it would make her feel so drowned and depressed.

"Gwen...I-"

"Just forget about it," she concluded and turned away from him, walking down the dark wooden dock towards the rented boat alone. Half hoping that Ben would not follow her.

The young boy, who had just been shoved with truth, stood planted in one spot for at least three minutes. He replayed her speech over and over in his mind and found it all to be true. She had never really done anything to actually hurt him, and everything he had done to Gwen he never thought would hurt her. But he never considered how fragile anyone's inner feelings could be. She had always seemed so confident and indestructible.

"I...I didn't mean those things though," he marveled to himself. "But she doesn't ever notice me if I'm just plain old _me_!"

Ben crashed his hands against his own forehead in anguish. It seemed that everything he would ever say to her would always come out wrong, and would always be some form of an insult.


	2. Chapter 2: Flames Inside

Chapter 2: **_Flames Inside_**

There are many things a courageous and carefree boy like Ben Tennyson can accomplish. He could get called out in the middle of a classroom by a teacher and not feel stressed or any anxiety. He could break something expensive in a museum and not feel any remorse. And with his Omnitrix, he can even be the sole hero of Earth who stands amongst others to defend the planet from the toughest of galactic foes. Yet being kind, was just not part of all the things he could do.

Max had come back several minutes earlier with a large white plastic bag full of custom sandwiches and a few smaller bags of potato chips. He had carried them along the dock and had run into Ben just standing in one spot and not moving. Trying to figure out if everything was alright with his grandson, Max simply got a: "I'm fine," notion and they both continued down until they arrived at the boat he had rented. He hoped Ben would feel willing to talk later.

Gwen was sitting in the back on a low-placed white leather seat. They were bright in the sun and very hot to touch from the lack of shade. Ben walked over to a seat perpendicular to where she was sitting, not even daring to look at her. He just couldn't. It took two years to actually realize what he had been doing wrong, and now that he knew, there was just no way he could apologize for all the times that he had made _her_ feel bad.

The two sat in the leather benches and kept their gazes away from each other. Their bodies rocked back in forth in sync with the waves pressing against the bottom of the boat. The movements were not anything sudden, but Ben could already feel his stomach getting quesy from it all.

Max had been digging in the white plastic bag for something. "Okay then, I've got you both a real treat. They had a special on a Canadian Bacon and ranch, and I just thought that it would give you guys something light so you wouldn't sick out here."

Both Ben and Gwen turned to look at the man in front of them sitting at the driver's seat underneath a shaded pull-back roof.

"I'm not hungry," Gwen answered, her body was quite full. But not with food – with hatred.

Ben finally got the will to look at her. He did so with an angry stare and she simply huffed. "Me neither," the brunette boy replied, crossing his arms and also turning away from his cousin.

Max watched with a solemn expression. "Oh boy..." He knew just exactly what attitudes like those meant, and he knew that he should just leave them alone. Swiftly, he spun back around in the captain's chair and started the boat.

Quickly, the wobbles from the waves that used to be the only thing controlling their movement were followed by a steady rumbling. The engine had started and it was quite loud – just shy of being the same noise a lawnmower makes.

"Grandpa," Gwen said, "could this thing _be_ any louder?"

"Sorry, but I can't do anything about it now. Besides, I'm only going to have the engine on while we're moving. As soon as we get to a good fishing spot, I'll make sure to shut it off. Believe me, fish would definitely not like this noise."

"Yeah I hope so. How far are we going out anyways?"

Max put one hand to his chin and raised his eyes in thought. He was trying to make a decent estimate of how far to ride out to get a good spot, but not too far as to use more gas getting there and not having enough to return.

"Probably five or eight miles. Just depends how many it takes until we can't see land anymore."

Gwen looked skeptical. "Isn't that dangerous? What if you don't know the way back?"

"No," he replied and tapped a glass dial that lie flat on one of the boat's dashboards. "This is a compass. When we start heading back, I'll know which direction to go. Right now land is to the west, so when we're all ready to go we just have to move in that direction."

The orange-haired girl simply nodded and lounged back into her seat wishing that the sun wasn't being so brutal on that day.

Just before Max moved the throttle up to go he remembered something . "Ben, could you untie that tether over there. Wouldn't want to leave and bring the whole dock with us." He pointed to a docking pole next to the boat.

Grumbling some words of protest or other, he stood up and walked to the far side of the deck. There he began to untie a thick and brisk rope that had been tied to one of the boat's rings and wrapped around the wooden dock.

After about a minute of fumbling with the rope, Ben finally got it off of the boat and they were free to reign the ocean.

"All good Grandpa," he announced and move to sit back down.

"Great," the older man responded and put the boat in forward motion.

It moved with a rough jump on the water, coming up over one wave and falling back down as the it broke. The sound it made in motion was even more annoying than what it made in idle. The engine now sounded like an angry dog growling who had been stalking its prey and was now ready to pounce. Not the best noise to have to listen to for possibly twenty minutes.

Ben had sat, instead, next to Gwen. He had hoped that some way he would be able to apologize, or at least start to make up, for what he had done before. He really wanted her to see that he was not the same immature little boy she had first met during that summer vacation. But instead of giving him that chance, she scooted down the seat a little more.

"Aw come on Gwen, this isn't fair," he protested, barely able to hear his own voice over the noise. Apparently she could though.

As she moved down the seat, Ben followed her. Putting his hands to one side, he used them and his own feet to move sideways in a quick motion.

"Stop following me and leave me alone," she barked.

"Hey! I'm just trying to..."

He stopped in the middle of his sentence. Apologizing to anyone was not in his nature, and he had never actually, and sincerely, said he was sorry for anything he had done.

"Trying to what?" Gwen repeated his words. "Trying to find something else to tease me with? When are you going to grow up Ben?"

Once more, Ben opened his mouth to speak – yet a churning feeling was making its way throughout his now feeble body. No words floated along his tongue, and none were caught at the back of his throat. He was not going to say anything.

Sighing, he closed his mouth – having not said a single word – and slid away from her. His stomach felt twisted and grotesque while his heart felt heavy with a burden that was not in his power to lift. He ached to make up with her, but he could not.

Instead Ben sat back and rested his head at the top of the white leathery boat seat. The sun beat down on his exposed face and neck, making a warm sensation mask his chilling feelings. Water would occasionally splash up and into the boat – sometimes hitting him and cooling down the heat the sun had built up on him. This process would continue over and over again so long as they sat in the boat.

Gwen sat still and stiff – she had hoped Ben would apologize and she had hoped that the strong resentment she held towards him would melt away as if she were holding ice cream up to the sun. But he did not.

She turned back around to face the busy city that they were now drifting away from. People and cars looked no bigger than bull ants and scattered around the city for whatever hurried reason they had. Gwen sighed with relief, as they were far away from such nonsense now. Most of it at least.

_Ben, _she thought as her eyes swept over the glistening blue ocean water, _why can't you ever be normal for once. Why can't you mature?_

She allowed her thoughts to bring herself back into her school life. Sure she had large group of friends and hung out with a lot of the sports players, but that didn't mean she wasn't also a book worm. Gwen loved to read and learn, and turning each page of a good fiction was like opening a Christmas present over and over again. The way plots could change or characters could act just intrigued her – especially how much she might get attached to a fictional being.

That was not the only thing that she recalled from her school life. Quite a few boys would always try to charm her with simple trinkets or some feat they had accomplished. It was all for not, and she never gave in to any of it. _Besides_, she had thought, _I don't even really know any of them. It's not like...they ever went on a vacation with me and fought aliens – saving me whenever I was in danger._

She grimaced at the person her mind was coming towards. Slowly, Gwen turned her head to glance at Ben, who was now leaning over the boat's edge and dipping his hand in the water.

"Ben! Stop or you might fall off!" she found herself gasping with worry.

He took his hand from the ocean and looked over his shoulder – rolling his eyes. "Oh, now you care about what I'm doing."

"Well no..." she stuttered, "it's just that, if you fall over then Grandpa will have to turn around to get you. It would take us longer to start fishing."

"Yeah, like you are just _so excited_ about throwing a poll in the water and waiting until something bites it."

Gwen shook her head. "You don't throw the poll, you doofus. You toss the lining and the hook goes in the water."

"_Oh! So-o-o_ sorry miss know-it-all."

"You're such a jerk!" she screamed back, unfolding her arms in a rage fit. "You know, I'm glad I haven't seen you in so long. I actually _miss_ being away from you!"

That made Ben stop and fully turn his body around. The air around them seemed to go silent and the boat's motor was now tuned out from their conversation. The brunette boy's eyes got large and pitiful, as if he had watched something of extreme horror happen right in front of him.

"Really...?" he asked.

"Y-y..." Gwen tried to respond but she found that her mouth was no longer under her control. The words that some part of her wanted to say were being blocked out by another part of her. A gentler side, a truthful side.

Ben watched as his cousin's head fell from its upright position and looked downwards. He knew that she was not going to say anymore and that their chat session had ended. He took a deep breath, feeling so angry at himself for always making Gwen feel annoyed, sad, or angry. All he really wanted to cause was to make her feel safe around him – happy and comfortable.

"It's just so hard..." he whispered, his voice drowned by the ambient noises.

They rode along the water for several more minutes. In that time none of the three spoke to each other and kept to themselves. Occasionally Max would look over his shoulder – in hopes that his grandchildren would eventually say something to the other or at least act as though they were enjoying their time together. But that moment was just not apparent.

It only took a few more moments of silence before Max became uncomfortable with it all. He decided that the best way to get at least one of them up and moving was to give them something to do.

"Hey uh, Ben." He called out, stopping and making sure Ben looked up at him. He did so slowly. "Do you want to try driving the boat?"

The boy's green eyes had looked drawn and weary, but once the offer was made to him they seemed to liven up just a bit. "I...are you being serious?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't."

Ben jumped out of the white leather seat, looking as though he had been given a new life. "Alright! This is gonna be so cool!"

Max was glad that there was a bit of new life on board, but he could not help but feel a bit timid about the new driver. Ben was not exactly the best person at being careful, but then again, it was only a boat. How much harm could he cause?

Sitting down in the driver's seat, Ben rested both of his hands on the boat's steering wheel. "Okay so I just turn this if anything gets in the way, and," he stopped and put one of his hands on the throttle, "pull this up or down to go faster or slow down. Right?"

"Well," his grandfather started, looking over the boy's form and comprehending his understanding, "those are the general purposes. So it looks like you have it all down."

Even Gwen, who had been pouting on the seat behind them, looked up to see if her cousin actually did understand how to drive the boat. She was a bit surprised when he seemed to maneuver everything just right and was not arrogantly trying to show off.

Max patted Ben on the shoulder before retiring to a seat beside his granddaughter.

"So Gwen...what's got you down?" He decided that if he could put Ben in a better mood, he could at least try it with her too.

She glanced over at her grandfather, putting one arm up over her forehead to block the sun's brightness. "It's nothing, really Grandpa."

"Oh come on now, I know you and Ben were arguing earlier – I just couldn't hear about what."

"No, I'm not mad because of that. It's something else...I'll get over it..._I hope._" she whispered the last two words to herself.

Max cocked an eyebrow, wishing that she would be more open to him. It is hard to help people or try to help them if that person does not completely explain their peril. He sighed and leaned back, throwing one arm over the seat to get into a comfortable position. It was not until now did he realize how brutal the sun was. Sweat beads formed at the top of his head, where his short-buzzed hair was lined.

Unexpectedly, the boat began to slow down with a stutter and eventually came to a complete halt. Soon the loud and obnoxious sound of the motor died out and they were left with the silence of waves crashing into the bottom of the boat.

"Ben, keep going. I can still see the tops of the some of the city's skyscrapers."

The boy turned around and shrugged. "I didn't do it, honest."

Max stood up and stretched, a bit disappointed that he only got a minute to rest in the leather bench. He walked over towards the boat controls and checked the throttle to make sure it was not pulled back towards the middle. It was still launched halfway forward. Nothing wrong there.

"Ah," he muttered with surprise, "we're out of gas. I completely forgot to check the dial before we left."

"So does that mean we're stuck out here?"

"Of course not. There's always some extra gas cans in the storage."

Ben glanced from one side to the other. "Uh Grandpa...this boat is really small. I doubt there would be a storage anywhere."

"Every boat has its storage place. I'll show you." He turned and looked at Gwen. "Could you stand up for me?"

She obeyed and stood, getting off of the seat which, other than the spot she had been covering, was hot from being baked in the sun.

Max lifted the bench up with ease and revealed a compartment with one large, red gas can that had a yellow tube coming out from the front of it – probably to make pouring more accurate.

He lifted the can out of the dank place under the open seat. "Alright, now we just need to figure out where to actually put all of this fuel. Ben, Gwen," he called their names, "walk around the boat and see if you can find a gas tank on the side of the boat anywhere."

Ben got up from the driver's seat and went around one side of the boat, quickly looking for what his grandfather had asked. Gwen did so as well, but not with much interest. She trudged slowly and drowsily along the opposite side and hardly even glanced over the edge of the boat.

"Hey over here!" Ben called, waving his arm.

The two other searchers walked over to where he was and looked over that side of the boat. Sure enough, there was a little white plate with a three letter word on it: "Gas".

"Good job, Ben. Now just move over a little so I can get this done and we can head on back out."

Max flipped open the metal and popped the cap off of the gas canister, and finally he began to pour the liquid into the large opening.

"Ben, go sit by the ignition and get ready to turn it when I say so."

The brunette boy nodded and headed over towards where the boat's controls were stationed. He sat down in the captain's chair and waited for his signal.

Gwen watched as the greenish-brown liquid fell into the boat's gas tank and how the sun made such dark colors sparkle with bright intensity. It was not amazing to her, but she was quite bored and it gave her eyes something pretty to look at.

She leaned over a bit to rest her body along the side of the boat, but had not realized how hot the surface of it was.

"Ow!" she cried in surprise.

Ben, who was supposed to listen for a signal, misinterpreted Gwen's words for: "now".

"Alright!" he called to his grandfather.

Max, while continuing to pour the gas, squinted his eyes in confusion. He did not understand why Ben had said anything yet. Soon, his heart almost stopped as he realized what had happened.

"No Ben not y-"

The boy had already turned the ignition twice. On his third try, the sound of the engine began to cloud the air with loud noises and rumble the boat – but the gas tank was still open and Max was still pouring liquid into the container.

When an engine uses fuel, it burns it to release energy that is needed to power the system. That is exactly what happened.

The boat's engine began to ignite the fuel that it was given, but because the gas tank lid was still open, back-draft caused the sparks to be pulled towards the inner source of oil – igniting the entire lot of it.

"Agh!" Max cried out as flames spewed out of the open lid and started to creep up the liquid that was coming down from the gas canister. Quickly, he dropped the can into the water to avoid it bursting in his hand. It never made it safely into the blue ocean and exploded on the side of the boat.

Ben was all in confusion because the instant he heard the engine start, his grandfather had cried out and the sound of an explosion followed. The boy turned around only to meet eyes with an enormous fire.

"What's going one!" he yelled in horror.

"Look for buckets!" Max called out as he tried to use a towel he brought along with him to slap out the fire. It would do no good.

Ben got up and ran around the small boat, looking for some sort of container that would hold water. All the while, Gwen was silent but her hands were close to her mouth in fear. She had not expected to be in such danger so far from home.

"There are no buckets!" Ben barked.

"Then you know what to do."

Max's grandson nodded – he did know exactly what to do at a time like this. Almost instantly, his arm with the Omnitrix on it was up in front of his eyes – glowing green. He turned the large extending dial until an image of a fish-like creature was apparent. Pushing down the dial to let the device know that is what he needed, he whispered to himself.

"Please let me be Rip Jaws...don't screw up."

In a flash of green light, Ben Tennyson was gone and the young boy had been replaced with a tall, green fish man. His jaw was extremely large and had long, sharp teeth protruding from it. The eyes that were just above his nose were a very light shade of cyan. Along the sides of his neck were slits that served as gills so he could breathe fluently under water.

"Alright, time to fight this fire." Rip Jaws said confidently – in a voice that sounded extremely deep and scratchy.

Quickly, he jumped off the boat and into the water, letting the cool sensation flow throughout his body. It was definitely a nice change from being above the surface and getting cooked in the blazing sun. But he knew that he would not be able to stay under any longer. The boat, which had Gwen and his grandfather aboard, was burning at a deadly pace.

Rip Jaws allowed his head to pop out from under the water, his mouth now full of the blue liquid. He took a second to take in the sight before him – just to make sure he knew exactly where to use his new-found weapon.

Max was still slapping at the fire with a white towel – which was definitely not going to suffice. And Gwen was standing in the middle of the deck, not exactly sure what to do about any of it. The fire, which had grown immensely in size, was creeping around the boat – almost surrounding his family and would soon come in to swallow them. However, he knew that wasn't going to happen as soon as his fish eyes set their gaze on two cylinder containers sitting at the head of the boat – just in front of the control station.

"Uh oh..." he said, "why hadn't I seen those before!"

There were two propane tanks, which almost looked like fire extinguishers, and they were just in the path of the fire. If they went ablaze, there would be nothing left of the boat.

He tried to plummet water at the flames that were riding along side the boat, but as soon as they were out, new ones would take their place. The oil source that the fire had just could not be put to rest by water – it had to be burnt out, and that would take some time.

"Grandpa! Gwen! Get off the boat!"

It was no use, they could not hear his words over the loud crackling noises of the fire. He continued to watch as the line of flames crept on the side of the boat, inching closer and closer to the propane tanks. Threatening to assault those who were unaware of the danger.

There was no more time to get their attention. If they could not see the threat that was imminent, then he would have to take matters into his own hands. Rip Jaws plunged under the water and took in a mouthful of the ocean's salty liquid. Soon he reappeared at the surface – spitting large amounts at the flames in attempt to stop them.

Dark smoke would come from recently put out flames, but they would soon relight and continue on their deadly path. There was no stopping them, and there was now only one visible option.

Kicking his feet and using his fins to push off of the water with all his super-might, Rip Jaws jumped off of the water and high into the air. His eyes glanced at the line of heat that was merely feet away from its final destination.

Using the strength his alien form had given him, Rip Jaws glided over the boat in mid-air like a dolphin diving through a hoop. Swiftly, he took hold of his grandfather as well as a scared Gwen.

The next moment, they were all three under the ocean water, and just in time. Max was the last person to plunge into the ocean, and as soon as he did, an enormous rumble was created – sending large waves toppling over them. Debris quickly followed, plaguing the air with large planks and plastic architecture.

Suddenly, the grip around the two who had been rescued was released, and they floated to the top. Rip Jaws had let go of them.

Gwen was the first to appear above the water. Her breathing was quick and quivering.

"Grandpa!" she cried frantically, turning her head from one side to another. All that was around her were parts of the boat, and some were still ablaze.

A splash emitted from just behind her and she was glad to see who it was. Max's face was also weary and unexplainable.

"What...what happened? And where's Ben?" he asked, rubbing the side of his head.

"I don't know...he pulled us into the water, but after the explosion...I don't know."

Her grandfather looked grave and helpless. He took a moment to regain his thoughts and get a better mental standing. Scanning over the explosion site, he assumed that something on the boat must have been there to make it all happen that Ben had seen, and they did not.

_It doesn't matter now,_ he thought reluctantly, _it's over._

His eyes rolled around from one location to another, searching for his grandson. Soon, a dire realization struck him and he now feared for the worst.

"Ben!" he yelled out, lifting up a few metal sheets from the water – hoping he would not find what he was looking for under it. "Gwen, give me a hand and look around for him. He was just here!"

"Ben!" Gwen called, shaping her hands in front of her mouth to amplify her voice.

Max moved over to a large plastic boat covering that had been strewn away by the full-force explosion. It was heavy, but still there was nothing to be found underneath it but more smaller parts.

"Benjamin!" his voiced rumbled over the sea, but again no response would come.

"Grandpa...I don't think he's here..." Gwen vaguely offered.

The older man shook his head while wadding in the deep water. "He has to be. He just pulled us off the boat before...that happened."

She knew her grandfather was right, and Ben had to be close by, but she was afraid of exactly what they might find. Her vivid imagination blocked out such gruesome thoughts that even sent chills down her spine.

Suddenly, Max began to feel the water getting slightly warmer as well as feel something sticky brush up against his arms as they moved in the ocean. Curious, he looked down towards the place where he felt the odd sensation. As soon as he spotted what it was, he almost began to weep.

Dark as a sunset sky, and warm as a newborn, blood started to surround the old man as he kept stationary. He knew, for sure, that it definitely was not his blood, because he noticed a trail leading a few feet away that stopped just before a large part of the broken ship.

One might think that Max Tennyson would have completely shut down, and refused to do anymore on that spot, but that was just not the case. He slowly paddled his floating body over to the source of the blood stream.

Gwen watched with one hand covering her mouth – afraid to even take a breath – and another grabbing onto a small rectangular piece of the boat for support.

Every noise – seagulls, waves, wind – it all seemed to die down and become silent. The only sound that Gwen was able to hear were the soft wades of her grandfather moving closer and closer to the piece of ship that she knew would not reveal anything good.

Finally, Max arrived at the capsized piece of metal that was covering what he already knew to be the truth. Stalling any longer, he thought, would not help anyone.

Using both his muscular arms, Max pulled up on the heavy structure and slowly began to move it away from whatever was causing the red water. It came up with ease, as most of it was already under water and things tend to be lighter when not completely in air.

A loud splash was made when it finally fell completely into the ocean, causing water to fly up and coat his face. He solemnly wiped it out of his vision, and soon the blurs of water were cleared from his eyes and he could now face what he knew to be in front of him even without sight.

Ben Tennyson lie lopsided on a long wooden piece of the captain's center. His body was not twisted in any way, and he seemingly had no broken bones. However, his eyes were shut and his breathing was barely audible – unless it was the wind Max was hearing, then Ben was not breathing at all.

But that was not what was causing such red blood to emit from the boy's body. The eyes of a drowsy grandfather moved to the center of his unconscious – or even lifeless – grandson. Just to the side of his stomach something stuck out – something dark green and splintered.

It was a shard of the wood that had housed the boat's controls. It looked as though it had impaled him deeply. A red circle was formed on his white and black shirt – staining the bright color.

Max shut his eyes for a moment, but he believed in everything that was in front of him. He was not in denial – as he was sure that would simply make everything worse.

He pulled the plank that Ben was sprawled out upon over towards him and began to swim back towards Gwen. Not a single emotion was present on his aged face, nor did a single tear stray from his eyes. He looked like nothing had happened.

Gwen, who had been too distant to view what had been under the capsized boat piece, laid her eyes on what was being pulled by her grandfather. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened – she looked as though all the life force was being pulled out of her body.

Max might have been able to resist the urge of tears, but the young, fragile girl was not. A liquid – saltier and more harmful than the ocean water itself – began to stream down her soft cheeks, but not a noise came from her mouth.

She had told Ben, years before, that she wanted to be there – on the day that he would get his butt kicked and beat. That she wanted to see him beg for help. Now those feelings seemed so distant and wrong.

Something, which she was still not understanding, made her stomach twist and tingle whenever her eyes met his closed ones – but not in a good way. She did not even dare look at the wound that pierced his stomach.

"Gwen stop!" came a strict voice. It was Max.

She sobbed at the sound of another human. "Stop what...?"

"You need to stop crying..." he whispered without much tone.

"Grandpa! Ben is dead right here in front of me. I can't stop crying! You...you just don't understand! Just look at you! You're acting like nothing happened!" Each sentence was screamed and yelled with hatred for the man that was now in front of her. She hated that he seemed to not care – to not notice that his grandson seemed to be dead right beneath his arms.

Max swallowed, a newly formed lump in his throat. "Gwen...I"

"You what? You don't care that such a good person got killed saving you!"

"That's not it!" he shouted back in a voice Gwen had never heard him use before. It was aggressive and angry.

She backed away from him, now frightened. Her long, and bright, orange hair floated in the water behind her. Her bangs, now soaked with water, covered her eyes – distorting her vision. But she made no attempt to move them. All her will seemed to be drained.

"I'm sorry..." he apologized. "It's just that...if I break down now we might not be able to get out of all of this."

Gwen looked around. She could not see the city that they had departed from – it was gone and they were not sure which direction they had come now. The sun was high in the sky, directly above them at the center and would not serve as a good exception for a compass – which they had lost in the explosion.

She took a deep breath. _He's right..._ she thought, _I need to stay calm._

But she could not. Each time she began to calm herself and regain mental control, her thoughts kept dragging themselves back to the boy who had always risked his life to save hers. Looking back, it all seemed so simple and like he would never fail – or get hurt. They had been so careless, because they did not believe anything could happen to them. Now look.

Waves brushed up against her chest, splashing light trickles of water up onto her chin and face.

"I can't..." she breathed.

Max did not move or respond. He did not expect her to be able to stay calm. He knew that, even if she did not know herself, she cared for Ben a lot more than she would let on. And he also understood what it felt like to lose someone so close.

"Come over here," he gestured with his hand.

At first, she did not move and almost refused to get closer to him. But, reluctantly, she finally swam over. When she got near, he took her arm gently and placed her on the board – beside Ben.

She glanced over to her cousin and quickly spun her head back around, squeezing her eyes closed tightly – trying to block out the image of his blood-stained body.

"Don't look," Max whispered and began to pull the small plank with his two grandchildren on. He started to swim in a direction that – he hoped – was back towards the town.

At first he was sure that they would make it through the horrible disaster, but suddenly he began to feel a presence around him – and then something dire flew into his mind.

His body froze and his eyes widened. Turning his head around, he looked at the trail of blood that they were leaving behind – but that was not all he saw.

A gray triangle floated atop the water almost five yards behind them. It moved with a swiftness that would make a professional gymnastic look like nothing.

Max knew exactly what was under the water beneath the fin, but he had not expected it to appear so soon. His plan of returning back to whatever land he thought he was heading towards, was now crumbled and a new fear was brought upon him.

Gwen also took to noticing what he was staring at. When she had first saw her cousin, she thought that she was more scared than her body would allow – but seeing the fin drew a new anxiety she was sure did not exist.

She slowly shook her head from one side to the other, in disbelief. "Grandpa..."

"Gwen – listen to me," he said, "don't think about what you're going to hear behind you."

Time was something they now had very little of – and Max barely had any at all, and he knew it. The young, innocent girl – who's hair tread the water so fairly – felt her stomach cramp. She did not understand what her grandfather was trying to tell her.

"Whatever happens, " he continued, "make sure you and Ben get safely to shore. Once you're there, get your cousin help. He will be fine so long as you don't try to remove the wood. Do you understand me?"

"But Grandpa I need your help to get there. I can't...I can't swim that far."

"Listen!" he yelled, grabbing both of her arms and shoving his face near hers. "I'm not giving you an option. Just keep close to the board and rest on it whenever you have to."

He did not give her a chance to resent his words or hold him back. Quickly, he shoved her body back along the plastic floating board beside Ben's body. Soon, they could both here waves in the water begin to get stronger and crash loudly.

A few times, Max was pulled under by the water – having nothing to grab onto and no bottom surface to stand on, he struggled to get back to the surface.

Spitting out water, he watched a girl with such bright orange hair and a tear-filled face, swim away – but continuously looking back over her shoulder.

"Go now!" he shouted with false anger. He knew that he needed to make her feel scared of him, or at least angry – or else she might try to come back.

For the first time since he saw Ben lying impaled under the capsized ship piece...tears stung his eyes with more intensity than that of a wasp.

Max breathed a large breath, quivering and heaving. Turning around to face the incoming threat, he smiled faintly.

"Heh," he said to himself, "just this morning I was hoping to take my grandchildren on a nice relaxing fishing trip. Now..." he stopped, almost ready to drown with sadness, "now I'm just hoping they both stay alive."

Just then, the water before him opened up like a gaping hole and he could see the jaw line of a monstrous shark. Its teeth yellow and stained from eating fresh prey and letting blood wash away the traces of devouring such defenseless animals.

The beast seemed to glare at him with hungry eyes that could tell stories of many successful hunts. He met them with his own – threatening it that he would not go down as easy as the other things it might have killed. Its fin at the top of its body – which was now fully visible – seemed to stretch no smaller than three feet. The blue skin that housed its vital organs were wet and slippery with water and algae. Max Tennyson knew he was outmatched and knew exactly what was in store for him, and he was ready to purchase.

Gwen kicked her feet with no mercy for how much her muscles would be aching later. Behind her, she could hear splashing noises and yelling from a familiar man.

"No matter what...no matter what," she repeated to herself over and over – keeping her eyes shut tightly.

She kicked her feet harder and made them come up over the water more just to try and drown out the horrible and sickening sounds that went on behind her. It was too late now, she thought, and the best thing she could do was keep going in hopes of finding help soon.

_Wait...what am I doing!_ She yelled to herself, _Grandpa...he would never leave me like I'm leaving him._

Gwen turned around ready to do whatever it would take to keep Max with her – not ready to leave him behind. But when her eyes met the scene of debris that she had started at, her mind became boggled.

There was nothing left, and because of her furious kicking she did not take notice of the quietness that had come. Parts of the boat lie strewn across the blue ocean top and some still littered with unforgettable flames.

No words came to her, not even a thought. Her eyes scanned the entire area for her grandfather, who – just minutes ago – had been behind her.

Instantly, many things ran into her brain and found themselves interpreted as hopeful thoughts. One was to think she was dreaming, but Gwen dismissed it easily. Dreams, she thought, were clouded and not as clear as what she was looking at. Everything was much too clear and real to be a dream.

"It's your fault!" she yelled at the body of Ben, slapping his arm with frustration. "It's always your fault you dweeb. You moron. You..."

She could not come up with another insult. Each thing she would say about him would only pain her even more. He was the last thing she had to cling onto in reality and taunting him did her no good.

Droplets of salted tears trickled down her red face. Her long strands of hair rubbed against the whites of her eyes and made them itchy. Gwen resisted the urge to move anymore, and she only lie on the board she was told to float along with – her arms crossed and her head planted in them. Dead. That was the only way she could describe her state of health. There was no life in her body – no happiness. Only pain, sadness and despair.

Waves began to get stronger and she could feel the pull of a rip current – dragging them farther out to nowhere. Water crashed over her head, but no longer did she care. All she wanted to do was float along side the one person who she could never leave – and sleep. To never awake.

* * *

If you have been reading thus far, please review this story - telling if you liked it or not. Reviews are like food. They are needed to survive. I would not write stories and publish them if I did not expect people to read them. So once again, please review this - even if it is just some anonymous review and you do not have an account.


	3. Chapter 3: City of Darkness

Chapter 3: _**City of Darkness**_

For days it seemed that she had drifted – alone and next to someone so close yet so far away. The sun had only changed slightly, but time seemed to ride itself out and pass quickly. The water that accompanied her had gotten cold and lonely. Nothing seemed to be around – not even a notion of any aquatic life.

Gwen finally lifted her head from the one place it had been for hours. Her arm was sweaty and drenched with salty water. Silence was surrounding her like a forest would surround a sleeping bear. She wanted to hear something – anything – other than the slushing of waves and blue water. That noise had become all too familiar to her now, and it was no longer a welcomed relaxation.

As her eyes met the light of the golden dusk sky, her mind went back into a deep state of memories. Just before her was the sight of flames and fire, burning each part of the once whole ship. So far away they seemed now, and she missed the intense and stuffy arguments she had been having with Ben. Even his annoyed face – his angry and stubborn expressions – were all gladly placed at the tip of her mind.

If she had any will of sadness left, she would have shed another tear at the simple thought of good things, or even bad things, she had shared with him – with her family.

Clouds in the sky were small and wispy almost like they had been blown away by the heavy winds that controlled the ocean ripples. The sun now sat over the horizon of water and let its beautiful rays shine dimly like a candle that was just about to burn out.

The vast sea was like an extremely large room. Gwen knew it had to end somewhere, but exactly where was out of her strained vision. She imagined listening to the sound of a horn playing ever so slowly, making a crisp and winding winter noise. It was the only thing in her head that would fit the outlook of her bleak situation.

A sharp and hoarse sound emitted from somewhere – something that Gwen had not expected to hear. She had been in a meditative state and could not figure out where it came from. But it struck her ears once more.

Looking down, to where she knew it had come from, she spotted Ben Tennyson – the boy who had died rescuing her only to let her fall into an even worse situation.

Dead – the word hardly fit him now. He had coughed several times, but after each outburst he would cry with agonizing pain. It might have been the most dreadful thing anyone could have imaged to hear from a child – but Gwen was glad to hear another noise.

"Oh Ben..." she breathed. "You didn't leave..."

She was crying now, but no longer did her tears hold the emotions of a broken human. They were carrying the horrible memories that she had gone through, allowing room for more happy thoughts and a hopeful mind.

Ben struggled to open his eyes. He could not get them to completely return his vision, but he was able to make out a familiar face – yet blurry. He was able to speak, but still, his voice was no louder than a whisper.

"Heya Gwen..."

Not even for another second could she hold in what was being constructed inside of her. The events that had taken her grandfather from her had destroyed an imaginary bridge that linked happy emotions to her brain. Hearing those two words from Ben seemed to replace the broken parts with new ones.

Gwen gave no concern for caution around him anymore. She tied her arms around his head, which had been hanging over the thin and rectangular boat peace. Placing her head next to his, she allowed their cheeks to rub together.

"You're okay...I...I'm just so glad you're okay." She spoke with disbelief, and began to think that she was hallucinating and had died sometime earlier. But now, she thought, if she was imagining it all then she was happy Ben was alive.

"Wait what happened, and...and why are you hugging me?" If moving a part of his body would not have felt like being stabbed with daggers, he would have tried to push her off of him.

"Ben you...you died."

His weary eyes looked from side to side, and he felt himself blink. "I...I don't feel like I'm dead. Unless when you die you stay in pain forever."

Gwen shook her head and smiled brightly. It felt good to know that he was still his goofy self – the person she felt so strongly attached to.

"Hold on...where's Grandpa."

Suddenly, it seemed like all the lights that had now been lit were going out once more. Until then, Gwen's eyes had not left her cousin's, but now they had glided away like the chilly winds that slapped their bodies.

Taking the young, injured boy's hand with a tight grip – that was to cover more of her pain than what his might be – she began to explain to him all that had happened.

Gwen told him of the suddenness of the explosion and how it left her and Max clueless for moments afterward. She then told him how they had found him lying lifeless underneath part of the boat with blood streaming into the water.

He looked down towards his stomach and noticed what was the cause of all his discomfort. At first he wondered where it had come from, and how it had gotten in that place. But soon his mind flashed back to the burning boat.

He had just dived over the boat as Rip Jaws and saved Gwen and his grandfather from whatever danger that might come. After that, he was sure that he had enough time to quickly grab the tanks of propane and hopefully use whatever time he would have then gained to put out the fire – saving them any more disasters. But it did not happen that way.

Just as soon as he had released his two family members and turned around to face the flaming ship, the fire heated the tanks of propane and they exploded – sending bits and shards whizzing through the air.

The last thing he remembered was being hit by something large and heavy – knocking him from consciousness.

"But Ben," Gwen continued, still not looking at him, "that's not all of it."

"No." Ben said, protesting to hearing anymore or whatever else she had to say. He had gone through enough for now, and by the look of their current situation he did not think that listening to any more saddening things would help them. "Just, please, don't tell me."

Shutting her eyes, blocking out the horrible story she had began to retrieve from the back of her mind, she nodded in acceptance. Gwen had hoped that he would listen because she did not want to be the only one that had to bear the burden of knowing exactly what happened to their grandfather – the most happy, honest, and caring man anyone could have met. If there every was a real, living teddy bear, then it would have been Max Tennyson.

"Well...there isn't much else to tell you. Ever since then we've been just floating. And I don't think we're getting any closer to the city."

Ben sighed, which caused a burning sensation in the midst of his lungs. He made a mental note to breath slower and less often, but keeping calm so he would not have to breath any faster.

"What about the Omnitrix? I could use that and we could at least get out of the water," he said.

Gwen thought for a moment. It sounded like a good idea, but there might be some drawbacks. "We don't even know what direction to go in. Not only that, but it might timeout before we actually get anywhere. And to be honest Ben, you don't look like you're in a state to be transforming. Just like when you had that cold – we don't know how that stab wound will effect your aliens."

The injured boy groaned with annoyance. He hated the fact that there seemed like nothing could be done and all they could do was drift with the water – waiting for something to happen to them.

"Could you at least use your magic to help me out here?"

"I...I'm not sure." She thought about how she had wanted to use a spell to save her grandfather. But there was so many things she had to first overcome to let the sparks fly through her.

Gwen's magic was more complicated than many people understood. If she could simply call upon a spell at any given moment, then she was sure that her powers would have surpassed Ben's limited ones. But it was not like that.

The aura she withheld needs a concentrated mind and feeble agility – she needed her body to cooperate with what ever movements that would have been required. However, she was not given that freedom. The explosion and Ben's sudden dire state had thrown her mind into a pool of uncontrolled emotions, and she had never done any practice to teach herself how to get them back under control. Not only that, but she also had to keep swimming away from the beast that had been behind them – her arms were not going to be of use for any magic.

"Why aren't you sure? Can't you just pull it out with some spell?" Ben asked.

"No," she snapped back, "I've never done anything like that before and if I mess up...well I don't want to find out what might happen."

"So I'm just stuck with this thing in me?"

Gwen did not answer, but only averted his increasingly-warm stare. She did not let him see her eyes, but only the side of her cheek and strands of orange hair.

Ben decided to give up on trying, besides, he thought, it would not matter if he got it out. There was no hope of actually getting anywhere safe.

Finally accepting that there was nothing left for him to try, and knowing that a life at sea would most likely be their fate, he smiled.

His cousin, who had decided to look at him again, wondered why he thought that now was a good time to feel happy.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked.

"Because I'm not dead."

The statement did not make sense to her. "What are you talking about?" She was more curious than annoyed.

"Gwen, I don't want to feel like I'm dead right now – because I'm not. I don't want to feel sad or angry, or lonely. Right now I'm alive – and I want to feel like I am. Even if it isn't for much longer." He let his head drop farther backwards – lightly grazing the surface of the ocean water. "Besides, I'm not alone."

His words made her feel a bit better, and she smiled back at him. She stretched herself back over the white floating board beside him and took hold of his hand – which had become prune-like from being submerged in water for so long.

"You know Ben...I knew you were always good at finding something to be happy about, but this is just crazy."

Straining, he was able to turn his head and face hers which was only inches away.

"Yeah...I know."

The sky had become a purplish color and the sun was no longer visible anywhere in the sky, yet a trace of it could be seen igniting a sky which rounded the Earth far away. The moon had awoken and was now gleaming white. Darkness soon crept its way into the gates of light and overthrew the predecessor – placing gorgeous stars and colorful space dust in the atmosphere.

**. . .**

As the night carried on, so did the little raft the Tennysons had been riding with through the vast ocean. They had fallen asleep and gave little concern to if a new day would shine on their lives or not. Hunger had a large effect on them, as neither had been without a decent meal for such a prolonged period of time.

Still, the shard of wood sat placed in the Ben's tender skin. The spot had become numb and it no longer hurt when idle, but whenever he ventured to move he felt a sharp and twisted pain brought throughout his body.

Gwen stayed with half her body in the water and the rest lying casually thrown across her floatation device. Without it, they would have both drowned hours ago – as their bodies would have gotten tired of swimming. And that was if Ben would actually be able to swim.

During her sleep, Gwen began to feel sharp pains – almost like scratching – against her legs and knees. It had caused her to awaken and investigate the mysterious symptoms.

Soon, she realized that it was still dark out and that there was not much to see around her. Everything seemed invisible except for the sky above them.

But there was something else – something that had not been around them before they had drifted into such a peaceful sleep. Beneath her feet she could feel something again, and it was rough but at the same time soft.

Her eyes shifted downwards just beneath her body and she almost cried out in astonishment. Sand. There was sand below her. And the sharp pains she had been experiencing were from bits and shards of seashells that formed below the watery surface.

"Ben! Ben wake up."

The boy had been softly dreaming about the morning before. He had been sitting in the ice cream parlor enjoying a large cherry and banana smoothy – slurping each gulp with unreal slowness to make sure every bit of flavor was honored.

He shook his head as the dream began to fade and a familiar rush of cold water returned to press against his legs and face.

"Huh..." was all he managed to speak.

"Sand...seashells...land! Ben we made it back to the city. We'll be okay now! You can get help and we can go home." Gwen was practically yelling with happiness that she thought had all but disappeared in her body.

She stood up straight on the surface against that was below her feet and took a look around. The structures in front of her were extremely dark and she was unable to make out exactly what anything was.

But something still bothered her. It was dark, of course, but it seemed much too dark for such a large city. There should be noises – like cars and people – and there should be bright lights emitting from tall and ugly business buildings.

Still, she stayed hopeful that they had found a place where they could get help and finally return home to their parents.

"Wait here Ben," she said – holding her arms out as if he could actually go anywhere, "I'm going to find someone to come help you."

Without giving anymore warnings or information of their new-found surroundings, she took off running up the hill of sand and along the powdery surface.

Gwen's body was still stiff from floating along the waves for so long, but a new feeling gave her energy to run. It was hope, foe they were out of the unforgiving ocean – away from all the despair and depression it had caused.

Her feet patted against the orange sand and kicked it back upwards behind her as she charged towards large objects that lined just ahead of her. In the midst of the dark, with no light except for what the dim moon generously gave, they seemed to be unlit light posts with weird designs.

She began to feel a change of ground material. Instead of sand filling between her toes, she now felt a dry and mushy substance press on her feet. She would have liked to have her shoes, but she had relieved herself of them just before falling asleep in the water. They were probably off in the middle of the Atlantic by now – or was that the other way around?

When her body got close to what she had thought was a lamp post, her mind went from overdrive to an abrupt halt. Gwen reached out to feel the elongated structure jutting from the ground only to find out that it was not smooth and cold – like the metal in the cities. But it was chilled and rough, with splintering edges.

Shocked, she took a step backwards, but tripped on a root that had grown in an odd formation. Falling backwards, she took to looking up at the tops of whatever territory she had gone into. Now close to her, she was able to make out leaves – long and thick – that came from tall and winding trees like the one she had just felt.

Checking the flora around her she realized that she was surrounded by stringy bushes and exotic flowers. A small critter scurried across the ground and hid in the sanctuary of one plant.

"No..." she said.

Gwen was starting to put the pieces that were strewn about in front of her into their correct places. No longer did she believe that they had been washed up safely on one of America's east coast shores, but that they might be survivors to an uncharted island – too small to be placed on any traditional maps.

Standing back on her feet she turned back around and ran out of the forest she entered into. The light from the opening she had come through got bigger and bigger until she finally made it out and back into the safety of the bleak moonlight.

Quickly she rushed up beside Ben and began to push their raft back into the water.

"Whoa whoa...what are you doing Gwen?"

"We have to leave. This isn't our home – it's not even a _home_! We can't stay here." she struggled to get the beached board back into the ocean – wanting to leave the desolate place they had seemingly discovered.

"We have to. We can't just go back out there and expect to find something else. Stop Gwen!" he shouted at her, and she seemed to listen to his reason.

"Gwen," he said her name again, "I can't stand to be in this water anymore. My body already feels like it's become some scrunched up fruit on a tree. If we go back out there," he stopped and shifted his gaze back out into the ocean, "who knows if we'll ever see land again."

She quit trying to set the raft at sea, and just stood holding onto it. "But there's...we can't..."

"We have to," he pleaded.

If she did not listen to him and regain her mind from insanity, there was nothing Ben could do. He was still badly injured and could barely move from the white board that he had been lying on for almost a day now. If she decided to continue to push back out towards the endless ocean, he could do nothing but go along with it – whether he liked it or not.

Gwen thought and debated with herself. _If we stay here then...there's a chance that we might not be able to survive. What if we can't find food...what if we get attacked by some animal._ Quickly, her mind shifted to an opposite stand point. _But if I pull us back out there...we might not ever look at another thing but the water or ourselves ever again._

"No...I'm not going to be the reason we struggle," she spoke aloud so Ben could hear her answer. But he was unsure of which side she was talking about.

"Does that mean...we're staying?"

At first she did not give any sign of agreement or answer his question. Gwen still did not know if what she had chosen was the best idea, but now it seemed like they were cornered. And the best move to make was to stay put.

"Yes," she said finally.

Sighing with relief, Ben could only close his eyes with a grateful expression chiseled into the features of his face.

"Gwen I know it's late and all...but do you think you could _now_ help me out with this?" he looked down at the piece of wood that was still impaling him. It was on the left of his body and far below his chest – just above the lining of his waist.

She turned towards his injury, letting her long and gracious hair swing with her head. Ben stopped to admire the simmering effect the moon gave it.

"But Grandpa said to-"

"Please Gwen. We're out of the water now and I'm sure I will be fine. It doesn't feel like it's in _too _deep and more importantly..." he stopped for a moment as if to think about what he was preparing himself to say. "I trust you."

Those three words meant a lot to her, but they also put an immense amount of pressure on the girl. Messing up was not an option. "Alright," she agreed reluctantly.

At the moment Ben heard her accept, he swiftly got a bit worried about the decision. The pain of it might give him to much discomfort, but he was sure that it had to be done eventually. Or else _he_ would be done.

Gwen had never done something like it before. "I don't really know where to start."

Frankly, neither did Ben. But it could not be that hard, he thought.

"Just...grab it and start pulling slowly," he said.

She looked at him with worry, but all he did was nod back to tell her that everything would be just fine. It was not worth anything to leave it in, but was it right to take it out? After all, Max had told her to leave it where it was until they could find professional help. But there did not seem to be anyone _professional_ around.

Taking one last heavy breath of the flora-scented sea air, she felt her body go calm. That was a good sign, as a slight uncontrolled movement might ruin the whole process.

With her right hand, Gwen took hold of the splintered wood and gently began to pull – trying to dislodge it from its unwanted place.

"Gah!" Ben screamed.

The outburst caused her to quickly back off of what she had been doing, but Ben pestered her to proceed.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah. It hurts really bad, but don't worry about it right now. Just _please_ get it out."

Nodding, she took a more firm grasp on the deadly object and pulled just a bit harder this time. The nerves in Ben's body were being overloaded with pain that was supposed to not exist. It was excruciating and the spot around the point of impact was still very much tender.

He groaned with agony and hatred for the spike that was inside of him. He was sure that, when and if it got out, he would curse it a hundred times and burn it.

Gwen continued to pull and she felt it move in short bursts – inch by inch – out of her cousin's body. But each pull revealed a more startling visual. Blood had began to pour out of the wound once more and it came in large quantities. She wanted to stop and tell him it was no good – and that it might make him in a more worse state than he already was to get it out, but she was sure that they were almost through.

She stopped pulling and took another breath – releasing the air from her lungs she had been keeping in.

"What are you doing," Ben asked, "just ke-...agh!"

In one large tug, Gwen pulled the mildly-green shard out from his body and quickly tossed it aside. One problem had been removed from their peril, but another was apparent.

Ben was bleeding at a deadly rate from the open wound that had now become visible just above his waist. It was about the width of a textbook cover, but it still formed a great threat to him.

"W-what do I do! I don't..." She stopped speaking with such mixed emotions and started to concentrate and think what would be the best course of action to follow through with.

The brunette boy was lying across the white raft with his eyes tightly shut – silently screaming with his mouth closed to stop himself from making noticeable noises. His chest was caved and he felt as though his lungs had been lit aflame. For some reason he could not open his mouth to breath in new air. If his bleeding did not kill him, then lack of oxygen would.

Gwen looked from one side to another, searching for something that could close the wound or at least pressurize it enough to where the bleeding would subside and eventually scab – effectively closing the cut.

Nothing was around them that seemed to suit her needs. The leaves from the palms where too high up to climb after in the dark, and the thin bristles from the bushes were too small. There was nothing for her to use.

Suddenly, an idea came into her head – but she was a bit uncomfortable with it. Her shirt was still soaked with salt water – which could help sanitize the wound and let it scab faster. But relieving herself of it was a questionable motive.

_Gwen,_ her conscious called to her, _he's going to die if you don't. You're not that selfish._

She thought about using Ben's, but his was now covered in the sticky red substance and it would only worsen his state of being to try and get it off of him. There was only one clear option, and it was so simple.

Without giving it any more thought, she began to take off her soaked blue and purple shirt. It stuck to her skin as she moved it over her head and also felt much heavier than usual.

Lifting it completely above her, she exposed her smooth, lightly-tanned skin and bosoms covered by an equally-soaked bra. Caring not of what anyone would, or could have thought, she twisted her shirt into a gauze bandage and pressed it against the bleeding spot on Ben's body. He shook and cried out loudly now – unable to contain his pain anymore. The salt in the water that Gwen's shirt was covered in gnawed at the germs at the edges of the wound – only burning the poor boy even more.

The pain had became too much for his nervous system to handle and process – shutting himself down. His eyes now fully closed, he lost all feel of himself. Dropping, once more, into an unconscious state.

Gwen's breathing had gone out of sync with the pace at which her lungs used the oxygen, and she began to slow herself down. Keeping both of her hands against Ben's stomach, she pressed firmly on the makeshift bandage. She could feel the warm blood began to seep through her shirt, but it was definitely not able to come out as fast – and she knew that the cotton would block quite a bit of it. He was safe, for now.

Tired and exhausted from lack of sleep and the work she had been doing, Gwen fell over her cousin's body and started to drift away from reality once more – but this time she felt a bit different. They were on dry land, that was a start. And as far as she knew, Ben was going to be fine.

She made sure her shirtless stomach kept a tight pressure over the injury and that if she moved it would not come off. Finally, she was sure that there was nothing more that could be done at the time. Letting her eyes and head rest, Gwen finally took to sleeping soundly.

* * *

Alright, sorry everyone for such a short chapter. This one is only about 10 pages, but it is basically closing a gap that needed a quick update. The next one should be about 15 pages and explain quite a bit, as well as opening up some new outlooks on things. That should also be the end of Part 1.

I plan to write three parts to this novel with hopefully 20,000+ words in each part. No, I'm not publishing a new story for each and each part will be included in this story.

For now, just review please – tell me what you think of all of this. Also note that this story is not meant to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside (not yet at least), and I am presenting the worst of the worst first because I want to put a sense of realism to it. They're not just going to wash up on an island and it instantly becomes okay and complete paradise. There's more to it than that. If that bothers you, then do not continue reading. Eventually though, a part of this might make you smile. Who knows? It's all a secret...well not for me.

Forever _**Bwen**_.


	4. Chapter 4: And So It Begins

Chapter 4: _**And So It Begins**_

Gwen awoke to light colored ocean waves rising up to her chin as she lie over Ben just above the shoreline. The sun had decided to show up that morning accompanied by few large clouds that would occasionally overcast the fiery ball.

She began to stand up and get off of her cousin, but realized why she had been in that position in the first place. In her movements, the shirt-bandage had loosened and blood started to drip from the wound once more. It was definitely not as much as it had been earlier, but it could still pose a problem.

There was no way she would be able to hold it against him for as long as it took to start healing on its own, and she easily thought of an alternative.

Quickly unraveling her now ruined shirt, she stretched it out until it was long enough to be tied around his body. She laced it around his stomach, which was still covered with his own shirt, and finally knotted it as it met the beginning of itself.

She checked it to make sure it was tight enough by tugging from the inside. There was little to no slack – as it barely went all the way around him in the first place.

Standing completely straight, she yawned audibly and stretched her slender arms – letting her half-exposed upper body glisten in the warm and refreshing morning sun.

Gwen noticed that something was smeared all over her right side. It was a familiar red and sticky liquid that had now stained her skin. She knew it had come from her lying over Ben, and decided that she would head into the water to wash it off.

Looking back out towards the vast sea, she felt extremely glad that they were not still floating out there with no sure direction or no sure future. However, she was still not sure what their future would hold for them at that point either. Stuck on an island – which they had yet to completely observe – was not known to be the best way to stay alive. But then again, it was their only way.

Moving closer into the ocean, she felt the chilling, blue water creep up hair feet and up onto her ankles, and then seep back down into the world's bowl.

She went just a bit farther until her knees where just above the surface. Then she scooped up the water and began to splash it along her stomach. It was not cold like it had been before, and was now comfortable to touch and feel. It ran down her body and cleaned the bloody areas that had been contracted from Ben – washing it all away.

It occurred to her that she felt more interested in resting in the water more fluently and without so much restriction. Looking over towards her still-sleeping cousin, she expected him to be out for at least thirty more minutes. It seemed like the perfect time to relax in peace and quiet as well as get rid of all the sweat that had accumulated on her body.

Feeling just a bit more nervous than when she had taken her shirt from herself, she also relieved herself of the Capri pants that were still damp from their trip on the floating board. Gwen balled them up and tossed them back onto the shore – out of reach of the furtive water.

Blinking slowly and taking a breath full of comfort, she sank into the water and sat on the sandy bottom. Her hair fanned out behind her and rested uncontrollably on the reoccurring waves. She pushed her head under the water more – sinking her mouth beneath the surface. It was not until now did she decide to take a good look at the island they had seemingly come about.

Being only a few feet away from the shore, she was able to see a frontal view of it with great clarity. The trees were bent and leaning with large, thick leaves stranded from the tops – making a great shaded region beneath them. Green and yellow flora seeded the entire grassy area that was the barrier between the sandy shoreline and the dense tropical forest – or jungle rather.

Gwen finally noticed that she was able to here faint screeches from what sounded like monkeys and seagulls. Yet she could see no seagulls around her, the monkey noises were most likely coming from the interior of the green jungle.

The sand they had been sleeping on was a bright orange color – close to that of the white beaches of Florida. But it was not grainy and rough, rather it was soft and powdery. She was glad to have found such a welcoming surface to sleep on the night before, and it was not littered with the usual sand flea infestation. It had been purely dry and unaccompanied by any unwanted insects.

Exotic smells and scents surrounded the island. Sweet flowers were probably the biggest factor, and controlled the air like a tyrant would control an army. However, the evil dictator also had friends. Besides the fresh salt-water air, there was also that of citrus fruits and the bitter smells of animals or possible rodents that might be located somewhere in the jungle.

In some instances she would consider it all hopeless to try and stay alive in the primitive place, but at the same time something excited her about it all. She was finally free of her strict and unworthy teachers, and no longer did she have to put on fake smiles for people just so they would not bother her. She was free from homework, from studying, from chores, and from having to be responsible for problems her brother, Ken, might have caused.

Gwen thought for a moment and realized that all of the things she was thinking about seemed like thoughts that Ben might have. He probably would appreciate those freedoms more than she would, and would probably find some way to feel happy about getting lost. She might have been excited, but Gwen was far from happy.

Taking a notice towards her cousin after she had finished sorting her thoughts out, she noticed that he was awake and attempting to get up.

With one arm placed around his upper waist – where Gwen's shirt was wrapped around him – he used the other one to give him leverage and tried to push himself upwards. It did not work out so well. Instead of getting to his feet, he pushed his body forward too much and landed on his knees – with his free hand now dug into the sand.

He was in very intense pain for moving, and the blood loss had caused him to feel light-headed and disoriented. He could barely hold his own weight from such a dramatic change. Not only that, but each and every muscle in his body was unbearably stiff and he almost felt as though he had no control over his own movements.

"Ben," Gwen said while standing and getting out of the water, "you shouldn't be moving so much. If you don't keep still for at least a day then you might never get better."

He had not known that she was awake and was startled to hear the sudden remark coming from the water. The sound of moving sand and light footsteps arrived just beside him. He looked up at her and was about to protest until his eyes actually met the person who was now towering above him.

She had not a single piece of clothing on except for white-felt panties and a dark-colored bra. He had never seen her in such a state and was a bit embarrassed – causing his cheeks to turn red and build a noticeable blush.

"I uh...don't...yeah...ow this hurts," he stuttered with every word, but was eventually able to bring the subject in his mind back to the problem that lie in his body.

"Well of course it hurts! You won't keep still. Lie down on the sand for a while – it's real soft."

"But I really don't want to lie down all day."

"You have to," she said again. "If you don't then that cut will never get better. It might not have been deep enough to really hurt you, and you're lucky for that, but it was still enough to make you bleed a lot. I even had to use my only shirt to cover it up."

"Well...I'm sorry about the shirt and all. But thanks...I-I...really don't know what I could have done without you here. I'd probably be dead."

Gwen turned her head to one side and looked at him with raised eyebrows. "It took all of this...going through _two_ life-or-death situations just for you to say something nice to me."

He smiled at her. "Yeah I'm sorry about that to."

They both laughed together – glad to not feel despair or mental pain for the moment. Gwen sat beside him, letting the water from her body slide down her skin and sparkle in the sun's bright rays. It was not unbearably hot like it had been on the boat, and was quite warm with an occasional cool breeze coming through.

Ben finally heeded her words and plopped over onto the sand, lying perpendicular to her body with his head at the far side and his feet closer to her. He had kept all of his belongings on him – his shirt, shoes, pants, and socks. They were still damp from the day before, as they were not meant to be used in water, but the soaked clothes kept him cool in the sun and stopped heat from building underneath the cotton.

Gwen tilted her head downwards – letting some of her hair fall into her vision carelessly. As she sat there, her stomach began to make odd gurgling noises.

"I think we...I...should try to find some food," she said.

"Why? It's not like we'll be able to actually survive here at all. Just look at this place."

"What happened to being happy about finding land?"

He turned his head. "I was never happy about finding this island."

"Then what was it? What got you to smile just a moment ago?" she was honestly curious. If getting out of the dreadful cold water had not enough to make him feel happy, then what _had_ it been?

"Nah it was nothing really," he said, "but you are right I guess...we should try to find some food."

Gwen gave him a long stare as if her eyes could grab the truth hidden inside of him and pull it free from his body. It did no good.

Sighing, she let go of the subject. "But what could there possibly be? I don't really know where to start. And you're not going to be much help for a while."

"Aren't there supposed to be like...coconuts in the trees or something. You know, like in the movies."

"Ben those are just-" as she spoke she turned her around to inspect the tall palms that blanketed the center of the island. Sure enough, small circular objects hung just below the wavy leaves.

Watching his cousin's change of expression, he continued on, "Just the movies huh?"

"Okay...so what? They're all the way up there. It's not like I can fly or anything."

Ben rolled his eyes. Now he knew what it felt like for Gwen to have to talk to him sometimes. "Hello, earth to Gwen, you have super-cool magic-power-spell stuff remember?"

Feeling quite ashamed of her own stupidity, she merely added, "Oh yeah..." Standing up, and dry of all the water from her morning dip, she started to walk towards the jungle line. "I'll just be right back."

"Take your time," Ben chided dramatically while waving his hand around, "it's not like any of us are injured or starving."

Kicking sand back at him, Gwen chuckled and ran the rest of the way before Ben could get her back – not that he could of course.

Spitting the orange grains from his mouth he realized something. He was not mad or angry at her, but felt a weird light feeling in his stomach. It made him feel hyper and nervous, but he could do nothing about it.

Rolling over just a bit and facing the ocean, he let the breeze hit him head-on. The crashing waves mixed with the quaint winds vicariously blocked out all of the normal ambient noises – like staticy white noise that seemed to have no source. Shutting his eyes he let the comforting feeling of powdery sand and a cool breeze take over areas of his body.

Ben smiled at the recent happenings. He used Gwen as a source of happiness – which he regretfully diverted saying just moments earlier. Sure he was glad to of stumbled upon the island, but that was not the reason why he was able to smile and feel better about being alive. Even though they were in such a primitive state, it was possible for him to keep on going because of her.

In the background he could hear her chanting words from the book that she had taken from Charmcaster two years ago.

"_Alverto – Vertacil – Aerin!_" with her voice loud and layered with a shimmer of magic, her risen arms began to ignite a blue aura towards the tip of her fingers. Soon the coconuts that were twenty feet above her head in a large palm shook with great intensity until they fell.

Lowering her concentrated state, Gwen shrieked and jumped to one side. A coconut had decided to make its landing spot precisely where she had just been standing.

Ben watched and began to laugh outwardly. A pain rose inside his chest upon each breath of laughter, but it was not as bad as it had been before and was much more bearable.

"Oh yeah that was _so_ funny," she said from afar, "just wait and see who is going to be laughing when they have to try and open one of these by themselves."

The brunette boy quickly ceased anymore humorous expressions and put on a more serious face. He was not ready to give up his first meal in almost two days just because he had been laughing. Although, Gwen would not have let that happen – he hoped.

"Um okay. I'm not laughing anymore," he said, "so can I have one of those now? Opened please?"

She simply stood still and stared at him. "Am I going to have to do everything for you? It almost seems like I'm stuck here with a baby."

Ben shifted his gaze from one part of the ground to another – looking for a decent answer to her question. There was none. "Well, Gwen, it's not like I can do much about that. Look I'm sorry if-"

"Stop being sorry. It just isn't like you," she walked close towards him and sat – carrying two coconuts that had been claimed from the defeated tree. "Besides, I was kidding anyways. Really, I don't mind helping you out until you feel better. That doesn't bother me."

"Are you sure? I mean I can try to-"

"No. If you try to do anything something even worse might happen."

He looked a bit taken back by her statement, as he had misinterpreted it as an insult towards him. After all, he did have a tendency to cause mischief.

Quickly noticing his change in expression, Gwen attempted to correct her bad wording. "No no...I didn't mean it like that. I mean that the cut could open up or something. I think it might actually be scabbing. That's a good sign."

"No you were right the first time," he said, "if I hadn't messed up back there at the boat then we might not even be in this mess. And Grandpa might actually be here." Ben still was not sure exactly what had happened to his grandfather – but he had also denied to let Gwen tell him. If he was no longer alive then it was not worth learning what had happened.

"Ben," Gwen started, "you're not being fair to yourself."

"All this time," he continued with ravaging memories, "I thought I was the one that saved everyone. The big Ben Tennyson super-alien hero." He let out a fake laugh. "What I joke I was. It was you and Grandpa who were always thinking things through and really saving people."

Ben's mind ached with his past mistakes and the strain he was putting on himself. He had taken his own pride and was now stomping on it with merciless steps. He maneuvered his body around a bit so that he would not injure himself and sat up – keeping one hand on the front of his stomach and another on his knees as he drew them up to his head.

Gwen watched her cousin as he shut his eyes in anguish. She bit her bottom lip and scooted closer to him – hoping that the right words would slip off of her tongue with ease and experience.

"That's not true. Don't you remember all of those times you have helped other people – helped me and Grandpa?"

"What does it matter? You even said it yourself. You've probably helped me more than I have helped you."

"It doesn't matter how many times you did, or who did it the most, Ben," she coaxed, "all that really matters is that you tried. You put yourself out there and gave it everything you had – for other people. I don't know if _you_ know how much that really means. But to tell you the truth – a whole lot."

Ben let the words sink in, and he tried to fit them with his own reasoning. It all seemed to make sense, and they seemed to patch up the wounds he was inflicting to his own mind.

He turned his head to look at her. Their heads were close to each other and their breaths seemed to come out of their mouths and battle for space. He watched as her green eyes flickered behind long strands of bright orange hair that glistened in the morning sun.

Suddenly, Ben hit Gwen lightly on her shoulder. He felt his knuckle press against her exposed skin and push her slightly backwards. She did not say a word or cry out in surprise, but simply replied by striking him in the same way.

Hitting her harder this time, he slapped her arm, and just like before – she did the same to him but on the side of his cheek which left a red hand mark upon his face.

Ben aggressively took hold of her neck with his free hand and pulled her close to his own face. His body seemed to heat up with anger, but he could not think of a threat to give her or any physical way to get back at her for hitting him so hard. He looked directly into her eyes. They were not fearful or scared – or even mad, but they seemed to glisten with some other feeling.

Instead of attacking her with anymore punches or slaps, he sieged her with something much more mutual. A kiss, which was placed directly on her own soft lips. Their amateur mouths locked together, and they both let passion tell them what to do from there – as neither of them had actually done anything like it.

But just then, a loud rumbling noise in the sky broke their instant tranquility – causing Gwen and Ben both to push back from each other and turn their attention to the blue horizon above them. The sound was echoing quite far off. They could not pinpoint where it was coming from, but they heard it get farther and farther away.

"What...what was that?" Gwen asked.

Ben did not respond to her question or pay too much attention to the sudden noise. He kept his stare at the side of her face as she looked upwards.

"Gwen, what were you just doing a second ago?"

She focused for a moment and seemed to be thinking. "Well, first I got those coconuts-"

"No after that," he said.

"Then I brought them over here-"

For the second time, he interrupted her sentence. "Gwen you know what I'm talking about."

She seemed to be unbearably stressed. The bottle that she had kept her emotions and feelings for him in had been shattered and they had sprung free. It was a lot to bear.

"Alright! Alright...but you kissed me first!"

He did not try to argue, because, not only was she right, but he did not want to turn any of it into an argument. Stuttering with his words, he merely asked, "I uh..erm...it didn't...bother you or...anything? Right?"

"Well," she seemed to calm down and talk more silently, "I-it was kind of...I don't know...sudden? But...no it really...it didn't."

"So...you wouldn't mind if I...did this?" He leaned in close to her once more – his heart beating with anxiety and nervous tension, and using his own face, he picked hers up so that her lips were reachable again. Soon he closed the space between them. This time, their eyes shut and they both enjoyed the moment with no interruption.

Ben did not like the feel of her lips, nor did he want it. He _loved_ it, and everything about her. There was no part of Gwen that he would ever try to hide or deny from himself, or anyone else.

Finally, they pulled apart for the second time, but it was now by their own control.

"No," she answered, "I don't think I would mind that."

They both averted the one question that they knew would be a possible problem. What if they were rescued, or saved, or brought back to a mainland? Gwen had started thinking about what her parents would say, what her friends would say. But for some reason – they all seemed so far and unreal. Ben had kissed her. He had sealed such a large gap between them – something they both knew could not have been held up inside for long. They were different, and they were sure that they would be unaccepted by the people that were supposed to love them – just like the abandoned island they had found themselves upon. She wanted to be different with him – to love differently, and to live differently. A part of her did not want to leave. But she could not understand if that part was her being insane, or completely sane.

Standing up, she said, "I'm going to see if I can get these things open." Gwen held up the two coconuts that she had dropped beside her earlier.

Before she was able to walk away, Ben called to her, "Why won't you say it?"

"Say what?" she was a bit confused.

"You know what I'm talking about. I hope you know that I would, and I do. But do you? I've kinda been wondering this for...well..._almost_ two years."

Catching onto his implication, she got on her knees behind him and put her head just above his shoulder – letting her long hair drape over him like a blanket of flowers.

Kissing him gently on his cheek, she said, "I _do _love you."

It sounded a bit..._cheesy_, was the best word Ben could describe it as, but at the same time he felt complete in hearing her say those three words to him.

"I guess that's the best thing you'll ever say to me, huh?"

"Oh I don't think so. We'll just have to see."

They both smiled, but did not look at one another. They kept staring out into the ocean. The sun had gotten higher in the sky and was now casting twinkles on the surface of the blue water. For miles they could see out from the island against the vast sea, but no where did it appear to end.

"Now if you keep me here any longer we both might starve."

He did not say anything, but only nodded and she walked away to try and bash open the hard fruits. He now thought back to the noise that had rumbled in the sky. It had to have been an airplane. But the problem was, no traditional airplanes were aloud to fly over the Atlantic ocean and they had to stay close to other larger landmasses. That was something Ben had picked up while watching the survival show on TV just before he had left his house on the day of his _fishing_ trip. So what could it have been?

Shaking the thought, as they would probably never hear it again, he turned his mental attention to his own problems. He was still fully clothed from head to toe with Gwen's T-shirt wrapped around his upper waist. And it still felt unbearably painful to move. He wondered how much longer he would have to wait until he was able to move around once more. Gwen said that if he would lie down all day, then it would feel a bit better the next morning. He had not known her to be good with injuries, but who knows what she could have learned in the two years they were apart.

Falling back into the sand, lying flat on his back he took a big breath of the sweet air. It was like tasting something fresh and rejuvenating – making his head feel a bit hollow and more open. The air was one of many treats he had enjoyed so far about the island, but yet there was still so much they did not know. What was lying inwards – into the jungle? Was there more than just trees and overgrown plants?

Behind him, Ben heard a loud smacking noise followed by a sharp crack. Turning his head he noticed that Gwen had thrown one of the brown fruits at a tall palm and it broke open – right down the middle as if someone had sliced it with a clever.

"That wasn't too hard," she said and sat down next to him – giving a half-broken coconut to his free hand.

Looking at it with a skeptical expression, he asked, "It might have been easy, but is this really counted as food?"

The inner part of the fruit was lined with a cream-colored membrane and filled with a slushy white substance. It looked almost like pudding, but at the same time it seemed like old milk by the way it clumped together.

The sight of it was not too appetizing, but the smell was enough to wash out the disdainful appearance. It smelt of a strong vanilla with something that might have been a milky smell – he was not quite sure.

"It doesn't matter if it is really food or not, I'm going to try it." Gwen answered and pulled the makeshift bowl up to her face – drinking the weird whitish liquid.

Pulling it back down from her face her eyes seemed to roll up and her mouth test-tasted it all. She had never had an actual coconut before, but by the look of the refreshed expression she was now giving, it had to be good.

"It's really sweet, and reminds me of ice cream. You'll like it, Ben."

"Well if you say so," he then did the same as her – letting the edges of the coconut shell touch his lips and raising it just enough to have some of the liquid fall into his mouth.

As soon as it touched his tongue he felt as though he were drinking melted ice cream. It was sweet and fresh. Almost like giving him new energy for the day. It all made his stomach feel a bit better now that it had something to go off of.

"Huh," he said, "I guess you're right."

Smiling fondly at him, Gwen was glad that he did like it. If he had not, there would be a new problem coming afloat – and that was something they did not need at the time.

"Coconuts might help us for a little bit," she said, "but it's not gonna work forever. There's just not enough around."

Ben looked from one place to another. "What else is there? I doubt there's actually gonna be any other fruits on this stupid place. Even if there were, they would eventually run out."

Gwen's face seemed to be dismayed at something he had said. "I know...we'll find something, but, Ben...please don't call this place _stupid_."

Almost by instinct, he was ready to come back with a witty remark. But something stopped him. A feeling...a bond..._something_. Some part of him screamed inside at his mind to tease her, to laugh at her for asking him to do something so unusual. But then another part of him that had been locked behind false doors and tumblers, was under control now. It was the part that had caused him to like her in the first place, but he had never really noticed it until...now.

"Alright...I'm sorry. I won't. Besides...it's not like this island has done anything wrong, right? After all, it did save us from a life of floating in the water forever."

Gwen's heart jumped up, and her head sprung as well. She would have bet her entire life that he would have come back with a witty remark or a taunt, but what he just said was completely unexpected. It was gentle, kind, and respectful. She could fit those three words to a lot of people, but it never seemed like they would belong to Ben.

It was a miracle in her mind, and she could not help but jump at him and wrap him in her own shirtless arms into a hug – pressing her cheek against his own.

"Hey hey...what's gotten into you?" he cried out in surprise.

He felt something watery brush onto his own face from hers. It was a tear. Quickly, he became a bit concerned.

"Is everything alright? Why are you crying?"

Letting go of him and backing off, Ben could see through his own longer-than-usual shaggy hair that her eyes were looking up at him while her head was down. Her hair seemed brighter than usual.

"I'm just...happy. That's all," she admitted.

"Well I'm happy too, but why are you all of the sudden...crying-happy?"

"I guess I got a little carried away and was being overly-dramatic. But I was just so glad to hear you say something to me like what you just said about this island. To be honest, I half expected you to laugh at me."

Taking a deep breath, he put his free arm on her shoulder, brushing away her extremely long hair. "I know...I kinda thought I was gonna do that too. But those words just came out instead. I'm glad they did, because I always hate when I say mean things to you."

"You do?" she was a bit confused. "Then why did you always say things like that to me before?"

Ben pursed his lips for a second. "I just wanted you to notice me. I wanted you to listen and care about everything I would say – even if you only cared because I was making fun of you. But after each time I would say something, I would instantly regret it. I didn't like to tease you...or always call you dweeb or doofus...or geek. But I didn't know what else to say."

"You could have just asked," she smiled.

"I know I know...but don't you understand how weird that would have been. I mean...Gwen, you're my cousin."

"And you're mine, but who cares anymore? I just can't understand why that sort of thing matters. If you and I had never met, and were never told that we were related...what would it matter that I seemed...to...you know, like you?"

Looking to the side, he answered, "I'm not sure, but the thing is...we do know."

"And there's nothing we can do to change that now. Even if there was, I don't think I would take the chance. I know you, all of you, and I would never want to forget."

"You know...I never thought, in a million years, I would be the one to say this but I'm not afraid to anymore – I'm not afraid to tell anyone, especially you. I love you. And that's _you_ I love...not your hair not your eyes. You."

She felt a weird feeling at the bottom of her stomach. It was light and tingled with sincerity. She had never imagined that someone would like her not because of the way she looked, but because of who she was. At school she had always been weary if her hair was messed up, or if she smiled in a weird way. But being there – on the island – it did not seem like any of that mattered.

"Don't you think that this is all happening just because we're stranded on this place" Gwen asked.

Smiling, Ben simply replied, "If it is, then I've been stranded on an island for two years."

They shared a brief and passionate kiss – fully savoring the feel of how soft each other's lips felt and the sweet taste that flourished in their mouths from a fresh coconut meal. They had never kissed anyone but each other and many might have considered it wrong. But there was nothing _to_ consider. It was sinless and unbinding of all the laws that were placed upon people. Nature was their leader, and it approved by protecting them from those who sought to destroy such true feelings.

Everything they felt for each other was pure. They had never lied to themselves to convince their own minds to like each other. Gwen knew Ben's flaws and all the things he seemed to have perfected. And he knew the same about her. If there was a single thing that they really disliked about the other, they would have found it by now.

**. . .**

A few days had passed since they were beached on the desolate and abandoned place. In that time they had never left the sand and endured exploring around the shore, but continued to return to the one place they had arrived on. On many evenings did they sleep across from each other, but continued to keep there distance. Still, they felt timid about completely allow themselves to each other.

Not once did they enter the jungle, and Gwen was the only one with an experience of going in, as she had done so when she had mistaken the island for a city coast. Although the thought did cross her mind, they had other worries to attend to.

The injuries Ben had sustained seemed to be improving. After only three days, he was able to remove the bandage shirt Gwen had allowed him to use. It was crusted with blood and would no longer be of any use to her. She seemed alright with not having a shirt, as she had been without most of her clothes for the whole time they were there.

Ben still kept his pants on, but had relieved himself of shoes, socks, and a shirt. The air was much to humid and warm to be hiding their skin for long periods of time.

Gwen would not admit it to him directly, but she was quite fond of his toned upper body. Many fights with enemies and constant dodging whenever the Omnitrix was being stubborn had given him a bit more muscle than that of a normal adolescent boy. The injury on the side of his body from the boat just added to his heroic appearance.

For the second time, they had heard the buzzing sound in the air and began to get worried that someone might be looking for them – someone not so friendly. Ben certainly had many enemies and it would not be surprising to have a nemesis show up at any given time. But like the first time they heard the noise, it just got farther and farther away until it no longer existed in the sky.

On one morning, yet another problem had come to their attention. The supply of coconuts they had relied on so much were wearing down, and they had only half a dozen left. Not even enough for one day's survival. The brown fruits were refreshing of course, but they did not settle the growling in the cousin's stomachs.

Holding one up to her face like she was analyzing it, Gwen remarked, "Ben we have to find something else to eat. If we don't then we can kiss this whole attempt to stay alive good bye."

Ben looked around at the palms on the jungle line that used to hold their food supply. "We should try to find something else...but how long does it take for those things to grow back? I really like them."

"So do I, but...I don't know. A year or more maybe?"

"Yeah," he said, "my stomach won't be able to wait that long. So any ideas on how we can get something else to eat?"

She did a full-round inspection – turning her body in a complete circle and studying every visible part of the island. _The plants maybe...no they might be poisonous. Maybe there's more fruit in the jungle? But fruit won't last us forever. _There were no ideas that seemed like they would last them long enough. Sighing, she turned to look at the open water that continuously crashed against the shoreline of their island. The blue veld smacked into the sand and crashed against its friend in nature. From afar Gwen could see fish jumping out of the water and landing back in it with a splash.

"Fish!" she suddenly cried out, making Ben jump. "We could try to get fish."

"Umm Gwen..." Ben started slowly, "First of all, I don't know how to fish...especially without bait. And even if we did catch one, we can't eat it raw."

She smiled at him. His obliviousness was adorable to her, and it made her feel even smarter. "Of course we can't, that's why we cook it."

"Alright. I'll get the oven pre-heated and you go to the store to get some vegetables to season it with." He laughed as she chased after him for mocking her idea.

Eventually Gwen caught him and was able to bring him to the ground of powdery sand that they had rested on for many nights.

Quickly, Ben found an excuse to disrupt whatever plan she had. "Ow!" he yelled out and touched his injured side.

Almost instantly, she backed off of him and sat on her knees. "Ben I'm sorry! I didn't-"

He took hold of her with his arms and pulled her onto the sand – now having the upper hand.

"You know that was just mean," she remarked.

"Sorry, I'm handicapped. This is all fair game." He then began to mercilessly tickle her along the sides of her rib cage. He had known all the right place to attack because they were his own ticklish spots too. Gwen had always seemed like him in more ways than one, but tickle spots were the big winner.

"Stop!" she breathed out with a smile between laughter, "Ben stop! Stop! You're gonna m-" she stopped trying to resist him and was unable to hold back her laughs. They were rattling throughout her body and had taken control over everything.

"Who's the big hero?" he asked tentatively.

"Vilgax!" she pestered him. He simply continued to attack her with his finger tips along the sides of her body.

Her breathing began to come in hoarse gasps as she started to feel an odd sense in her stomach. The tickling was becoming too much for her.

"Who?" Ben asked again.

"You're the big hero!"

He released his deadly grip and fell beside her onto the white-orange sand. Holding his head up with one hand while his elbow rested on the ground. But quickly, the position got uncomfortable for him to stay in and he fell flat on his back to the ground.

Gwen was still catching her breath beside him and lie sprawled about on the sand. She had a faint smile on her face, but she began to wonder where Ben had gone to.

Turning around and making a move to stand up, she fell back to the ground when she took notice that he was right next to her. He was directly at her.

"Where were you going?" he asked.

"I thought you had left to go...somewhere. I didn't know you were right there."

"Oh," was his simple answer. "No I'm still here. I don't think I'm ready to leave."

Ben closed his eyes and started to enjoy the sun along the front of his body. His back was a bit sunburned from being exposed all day, but his chest had gotten a little tan from the meager amount of sun it would see throughout the day. It was more common for him to point his back at the sun then his stomach.

Unexpectedly, he felt like a thousand soft feathers had landed in the middle of his chest. The feathers seemed to go in all different directions and comfort him. He opened his eyes to see Gwen had taken to lying her head over him and her own green eyes looking up at his.

Her voice stammered. She did not know if she had gone too far. "You don't mind...that I lay down like this?"

"No no...it's alright. Whatever makes you feel okay."

"Well it doesn't make me feel _okay._ It's more like...safe."

He looked a bit confused. "Safe from what? There's nothing that could hurt us out here."

"I know," she sighed, "it's just that...well...being so close to you like this lets me feel like I could sleep for days at a time knowing that I won't be hurt. When I slept alone at my house, it was hard to know if some bad guy that we had met before would show up to hurt me in my sleep. So many people know us Ben, so many of the wrong people."

He stopped to consider what she had said. Never had he really thought about it, but it seemed to make sense. Vilgax, Zombozo, the Forever Knights – they could all attack at anytime they wanted. They could use Gwen, or any of his family, against him.

Now understanding that possibility, he felt a bit more protective over her. It made him feel good to know that she relied on him so much. He had always felt so strong and unbeatable when Gwen was counting on him to save her, or someone else. It made him feel _good_, and like he belonged somewhere in the world as somebody.

He lifted one of his arms up and placed it along her head – beginning to run his hand through her long hair gently. He entangled locks of orange between his fingers and curled them up just to let them go moments later as new ones replaced them. She closed her eyes and calmly let go of all her worries and tensions. They seemed so meaningless now that someone was there to guard her – to protect her. Getting hurt did not seem like one of her life's worries anymore.

"I don't know how I was able to do it before," she said through closed eyes.

"Do what?"

"Tease you or laugh at you, or think you were some stuck-up slob. Each time I look at you know...I just can't imagine ever saying those things to you again." She curled up closer to him and felt as though her head were melting into his chest.

"Well," he started, "I was _just_ some slob."

"No," she countered, "you weren't. And I was so busy hating you that I never really got to know you for the person you are. Now you just seem so kind...and so peaceful. When did you get like this?"

"I-I...I don't really know. When I got home from that summer trip...I would always think back to you. I didn't know why I did, but you were always there. One night I just couldn't sleep because I had a dream...or a nightmare that you were crying because I had pulled a prank on you – and gone too far. That was the night I realized that I didn't do things to you just because I hated you or thought you were the dorkiest person alive – it was because I liked you so much."

She did not answer or respond to anything he had said and only seemed to keep her eyes shut with a delighted smile on her face. It took a moment for him to realize it, but Ben was sure she might be drifting into sleep.

"I wish we didn't have to eat," she finally said.

"Why's that?"

"Then I wouldn't have to get up from this spot. I really don't want to leave you yet. It feels...good – being this close to you."

He smiled at her, but they both kept their eyes shut. "I'm sure that we can wait a little while before we at least try to eat something. After we finish off a few more coconuts we should try to find a way to get fishing."

"Yeah I guess," she frowned at the thought of having to leave the feel of him – the warmth that their two bodies conjured together.

"Although," he started, "it's going to feel a bit weird without you yelling at me for doing something wrong or shouting names at me."

Rubbing part of his chest with one of her hands, she answered, "Guess you're just gonna have to get used to it you big doofus."

Using his shoulders to grab onto, she pulled herself up towards his face – leaving her hair to send tickling sensations upon him as they dragged from behind. Kissing him once more, she could not help but push her face even closer to his even though they were already as close as space would let them. It was not a familial peck on the cheek or lips and then backing off. It was prolonged, and it deepened after seconds. Even as they parted, there was a feeling that lingered and made them crave yet another.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I feel so weird doing that, but at the same time I can't help myself. It's just that every time I think about comparing you and some people I used to have a crush on at school-"

"Whoa, wait...you were doing what?"

"No don't take it the wrong way, I was just thinking that – all the guys at school that had tried to ask me on a date...I always thought it was because they loved me. But I feel so stupid now. I know they just wanted to be around me because...well..."

"Because you're pretty?" he filled in for her.

"Yes, that's why I guess. And because they could go around saying they had a girlfriend. I never let them though."

"Why didn't you? You could go out with any guy I'm sure."

"Maybe," she shifted her head to one side, "but I didn't want to. I didn't want to get involved in some stupid school relationship that won't last."

"Well what do you consider me?"

Lying back down upon his shirtless body, she sighed. "You're not my boyfriend and you never will be anything like that. You're much better. You're the only person I really love – a person I can talk to who will actually think about what I say. A person who enjoys some of the things I do and can relate to what I might say. A person who I would not even hesitate to put my own life in front of. And I don't mean that in the normal way people say they love another person. I can't even begin to explain how it feels."

"You don't have to explain it to me. I know how it feels, because that feeling comes to me every time I see your face. Heck," he said quickly, "anytime I see something orange it reminds me of your hair. That's how insane I am."

She laughed. "You know, I must be insane too. Because whenever I see something bright green – you and your eyes pop into my head."

Ben gave a sweep of the jungle island with many tones of green planted all along it, and Gwen noticed what he was doing. "I must be on your mind quite a bit then huh?"

"You wouldn't even know the half of it."

They lie there for another half hour. Gwen kept her head and hair fanned out over her cousin's chest and he continued to rub his fingers their her bright orange locks. But soon their stomachs decided that it was time to get up.

Much to Gwen's dismay, Ben motioned for her to stand as he did so as well.

"We really need to find a way to get some fish, because coconuts just don't seem as appetizing as they first did," he said.

"I know...I don't really feel like drinking anymore coconut slush."

"So what do you think we should do?"

She thought for a moment. One early morning when she had been the first up, she had gone along the shore of the island by herself just to see what could be found. There was no bottle message or treasure chests located anywhere, but there was a small break in the shore were water would flow up into the sand – making a small pond connected by a river to the ocean.

"Well there is this place I know that might word for a little...amateur fishing."

Ben was eager to know her secret. "Where is it?"

"I'll show you," she said and motioned for him to follow her.

They walked along the sandy shore close to the ocean water. The soft brightly-colored grains of sand pressed in between their toes and sunk back into the bed they had come from. It was not as soft as what it might feel like to walk on a cloud, but it all came pretty close to it.

Soon they turned on a curve of the island and instantly stumbled upon an interesting phenomenon. At the shore, the sand had broken in a narrow stream and formed a small pond inland. A few small fish swim in and out of the encampment – making their way passed each other like a little highway.

"Right here," she pointed, "is where we can find fish."

Ben marveled at the sight. It all seemed so simple and easy. "When did you find this?"

She shrugged. "I was just walking around one morning and saw this."

"It's great...but how are we supposed to catch those things?" Finding the source of food had been the easy part, but harvesting any of it might be a problem.

"Well see I started thinking about that too," her head moved towards the jungle line, "and we could probably find a few sticks and sharpen the edges of them."

"Do you have an idea on how we could sharpen them?"

Her idea seemed to vanish. "No...I didn't think that far ahead."

"No problem," he smiled, "I might not know a lot about things like this, but I watch TV."

Gwen looked at him like he had just got out of an asylum. The TV shows that she remembered him watching did not seem to be in any way a help to them.

"Ben," she said slowly, "I don't think Sumo Slammers is gonna help."

"No not that. I got into a survival show a few months back and-"

"You have up Sumo Slammers for a survival show? That's...interesting."

Ben's smile faded. "Well they stopped making the original episodes. Then they released a new series called Alien Torts and it just ruined everything."

"Oh..." was all she said.

"But anyways, that's not the point. When I was watching the guy on the show fishing in a little creek, I remember him throwing rocks and breaking them to make sharp edges. We could try that and sharpen the sticks with it."

"That sounds like a good idea, but I haven't actually seen any rocks around here. Everything is just sand and lots of plants."

He stared at her for a moment, but was simply thinking. "I'm sure there are some in-"

From the skies a loud rumbling noise broke through the typical silence of the island. They had heard it before, and now it was starting to worry them.

"Why do we keep hearing that?" Gwen asked.

Ben looked suspiciously up at the cloud – trying to locate where the sound was coming from. It was hard to tell because it seemed to echo in all directions.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out."

Lifting his left arm up, he began to toy with the Omnitrix's controls. He spun the outwards dial after activating the device until he found an image of Stink Fly. Pushing it down – the typical way to get the alien tech to respond – a green light flashed outward and Ben Tennyson had disappeared.

Standing in the spot he had once been was a large insect looking alien. It had a white body with black lines running through it and green arms and eyes. But something was different from its usual appearance.

"Ben, you can't go!" Gwen shouted.

The bug turned around to look at her. "Why not?" His voice was stuffy and high-pitched, and almost annoying.

"Look at your wing."

He used all six of his eyes to inspect one of his wings. It looked normal and healthy to fly, but as soon as he turned his attention to his second one he threw his head back.

"Aw man!" The wing that Gwen had been referring to had a long cut down the center of it and was lopsided – it was definitely not fit to be flying.

For the third time, the rumbling noise began to sound farther and farther off until nothing was left of it but a mere ring.

Ben pushed the Omnitrix symbol on the center of his chest and reverted back to his human form – a trick that Vilgax had taught him the first day they met each other. He groaned with irritation.

"It got away...all because of this cut." His face was practically turning read with anger. It maddened him to have to give up on something because of his own problems.

"Don't worry about it, Ben. I'm sure it was nothing that we need to think about. Besides, the cut looks like it's getting better. And not to be weird or anything, but that scar is going to look really nice on you."

He could not help but laugh. It was funny to him at how much she could control his emotions. Making him go from enraged to laughter is not something many people could do. In fact, he had never met anyone else but her that could do so.

"Yeah I guess you're right. I shouldn't be worrying about it. We have enough things to worry about right now. Like eating those fish."

"That's a problem?" she raised an eyebrow.

"It really is...first we have to catch them then we have to cook them."

Suddenly, an idea flew into Gwen's scrambled mind. It, by her judgment, was pure genius and they did not have to do anything but use exactly what they got stranded with. Each other.

"Ben, what if I used my magic to lift the fish out of the water and you went Heat Blast to light a few stick on fire."

The brunette boy's jaw went slack with astonishment and stupidity for himself. The plan was so simple and it did not require them to do anything drastic.

"That's..." he finally answered, "probably the best idea any of us have come up with since we've been here."

Smiling and feeling good for being praised for her thought, she said, "Then I'll get started on that you gather some wood. Just grab a few sticks – but make sure they look like they'll last a while. I don't want to have a fire for only five minutes."

"Neither do I. Don't worry about it, I'll make sure that won't be happening."

Something inside of Gwen's body felt...different by his reassurance. She was so used to thinking that he would not be able to do what anyone asked him to do correctly. But now it felt like she could fully trust him to do it exactly right.

He had already gone off and was making his way into the forested part of the island, but she smiled at him.

"Thanks Ben."

She then turned around to face the lagoon of fish and began chanting memorized spells and lifted them from their watery home onto the powdery, dry sand.

Ben pushed his way past large leafy plants and jumped over roots that extended from the dirt-ridden ground. It would be amazing if he could manage to find any sort of stick inside the jungle. There was really no wood to burn other than the palm bark – and that would require knocking down a whole tree.

His feet would sink into moist dirt that was littered over the ground and had replaced the warm sand that he had gotten familiar with. It was seemingly a simple change, and he had gone through many changes in the past few days.

The elongated green leaves from various overgrown plants would brush against him as if they were all attempting to hug him. He shoved them off with annoyance.

"This is definitely not the best part of the island," he said, moving a pair of bushes aside and walking past them.

He imagined walking into a hidden lagoon with a circular formation and a large rock behind it watching over the area like a guard dog – and it probably would have smelled clean and fresh, with cool and pure crystal blue water. Instead, he laughed to himself because the only thing that was in front of him was a small clearing.

The meager rounded clearing of flora held not a single plant or ounce of water. All that lie there was many blades of grass which seemed to be windblown from harsh weather and a fallen palm. The bent shape of it stretched across the ground like a trained gymnast. However, the tree was still quite small as it had probably been knocked over years before it had a chance to enter adulthood. The structure was just small enough for Ben to drag it back out of the jungle and bring it as a fire source.

"Well...it isn't really what I was expecting. But it will definitely last much longer than a few twigs."

He used his shoulders as leverage to carry the weight of the stubby bark and began to drag it out onto the shoreline. As he pulled, his stomach began to ache and growl at its owner.

"I wonder if Gwen got any fish yet..."

**End of Part I**

* * *

Like before, please give an actual review and not just something you throw on all stories, for example: "good story", or "please continue" is not a review. I would appreciate if you would at least put some time in your reviews – I really do enjoy them and, as a writer, it is what I look forward to. I put effort and time into this story so you will all enjoy it, please allow me to enjoy a minute of reading your review.

There are no plans for any new chapters until after the holidays. But who knows? I might surprise you.


	5. Chapter 5: Problems With No Solutions

**Yes, I took a longer vacation than I should have, but I've been waiting on something from eBay to get to my house before I started writing. Unfortunately, I'm having some trouble with the seller and he does not seem to want to be contacted – even though I bought the item already. Oh well. People can't always be trusted.**

**Just to remind everyone – I do not right lemons or any m-rated scenes. So fear not, you may continue reading without any odd perception on my writing or doubt in your minds. I believe in platonic love in bloom, not in sexual attraction.**

Chapter 5: _**Problems With No Solutions**_

No rescue had ever come, and no rescue would ever come. Their parents, friends, and all other family were given no news on their whereabouts or what actually had happened to them. Nobody was able to tell them. But it bothered the two castaways not.

Inside, they had both really wanted a completely different life – that they had control over with no biased influence from anyone else. Each thought was their own without ever having remorse because of what someone else might have said.

Three years went by, but not quickly. In the harsh days of surviving by themselves they had to overcome obstacles that they did not ever expect to handle on their own. Nonetheless, they did so with remarkable mastery. Never did they build a shelter or a simplistic roof over their heads – they had no idea how. But even without such protection, they managed.

The rain was never a problem for them as it was warm and welcoming as well as refreshing. Most of the time when it would pour water they would lie next to each other on the beach with dark clouds overhead and a light breeze to sooth their thoughts. Getting wet did not make them uncomfortable but rather the fact that they could be so was solitude.

On one morning when the rain had started, Gwen even managed to muster enough courage to slide over towards Ben and tie herself into his arms – which had become much larger and stronger because of years of hard work. She had lie there, on a desolate island, entangled in his embrace during a day of rain. Her thoughts had told her there was nothing else more blissful than such a love, and she did not argue.

The two even tried to celebrate their birthdays on dates they thought were correct. Neither of them had bothered to keep track of the months, or even hours for that matter, but they had found a way to convince each other when a specific day was their day of birth. Usually they were highly off, by a month or more, but that did not bother them. Those days were very special to each of them, as they would run off away from each other for hours at a time – looking throughout the whole island for something to give to the other.

On their fourteenth birthday, Ben had prepared months earlier by diving into the ocean near the shore and gathering hundreds of oysters. He spent hours sitting on the sandy beach opening them one by one and only taking the best of the jewels that were kept inside. In time he had gathered many large and pure white and black pearls. They made for an amazing sight and even better when he presented them to Gwen and her face lit up brighter than the sea rocks themselves.

In all of the time they were spending on the island, they were noticing how nature took its course on things. There seemed to be a cycle – almost predictable. The trees, ferns, and flora would grow large enough to outgrow their known sizes, but as soon as they were getting close to being out of hand a natural disaster of sorts would cut it down in scale. The disasters were not as _natural_ as many people consider the word, but more or less having something to do with nature. Occasionally the wind would knock a palm down and the land itself would engulf it, or even as miniscule as a rodent eating a plant.

One thing kept bothering both the cousins though, the rumbling sound in the sky. It would return once a month now, and it would always seem to be invisible. Ben was sure he had spotted something in the sky on a certain day, but it had disappeared so fast he decided not to mention it to Gwen for fear she might thing he was going over the edge.

Gwen's eyes opened to meet a man of fifteen lying in front of her, keeping hold of her own body by his own arms. Her face was warm as his silent breaths and body were close to hers and keeping out the chills of the ocean wind.

"Well good morning," Ben said.

She smiled at him, looking into his unchanging green eyes. The one part of him that had never changed. The rest of him had gotten much more older and mature. His hair flung down to his shoulders and his bangs came into his eyes so carelessly. He looked, more or less, like Tarzan – which Gwen had always compared him to.

She had also grown in her own way. Her bright orange hair kept its natural color and soft, silky look – which Ben admired and would sometimes stroke just before they drifted off to sleep on many nights. She had also gotten taller and was proud of her new height, even if Ben did finally outgrow her and stood at least five inches higher.

Their old clothes had eventually gotten too small for them to continue wearing – which they noticed soon after turning fourteen. To adjust to this, Gwen had taken to wearing Ben's old T-shirt and used a strand of leaves and flax to tie around her waist. Ben had been wearing an oversized pair of boxers, which he still wore then. They had tightened around him because of his fifteen-year-old body and were almost tight enough to be Spand-Ex.

Gwen breathed in a breath of the familiar salty sea air and cuddled even closer to the man before her – nesting her head into his chest and finding a comfortable position. Ben chuckled.

"You know," he started, "we go through this every morning. And-"

"I know, I know. We both have to get up or we'll die because all I want to do is stay next to you and never leave. You don't have to tell me again."

She let loose a grin, which was masked in his body precisely where her face rested.

"Don't think you can be the only one in this," he chided, "it's you who _wants_ to get up later. I'm the one who would rather stay here all day and lie right beside you."

Smacking him on the back of his head, but not removing her hand – Gwen pulled at his hair and lifted her head up along with his own. Putting her face close to his she looked into his eyes.

"Ben Tennyson, when are you ever going to stop lying. I'm the one who wants to stay here – in this spot – for the whole morning with you."

"Ah!" he exclaimed, "see, you only want to stay here in the mor-"

"Shut up," she said and kissed him, which was something they both did often. The awkwardness of it had vanished long ago as they soon realized there was no one around to judge them for what they did or truly felt. Her lips on his and his on hers was such a familiar sensation that neither of them could ever forget. But each time they did so, it always felt new – like each kiss was their first. A spark of gentleness was always put in them.

She released him and fell back onto the sand, looking up at the blue sky. Ben sat on his side, like he had been doing before Gwen had awoken. Her kisses always seemed to calm him down, as if she used her magic with each one. There was never any lust or need for more – no cravings. It was completely natural for him to accept them as they were, almost like each was a new wall in his personal sanctuary and she was his mistress of restoration.

Suddenly, Gwen got up and quickly kicked sand over towards Ben – making sure not to get it anywhere near his face. She then ran down the shore and hopped into the clear water. Ben always got caught in her trap, the way she baited him by finding some way to annoy him. He too soon ended up in the water with her, wading through calm waves and using his muscles to try and run through the blue liquid.

She kept on moving away from him, strafing close to the sand so she would not be forced to swim in order to stay afloat. Her voice made loud chirps in excitement as the sound of ripples from Ben's movements were close behind her.

In a quick motion, the sides of her body were grabbed and she was lifted into the air – which Ben was able to do easily now.

"See, if you were so worried about us surviving then you wouldn't have come after me!" she called out with a warm smile.

"I can't turn up on an offer to get you back for kicking sand at me, which is like the hundredth time you've done that"

"Well now that you've got me, what did you actually plan to do?" Gwen knew he never thought his ideas through most of the time, so she believed he was mentally contained.

The corners of the brunette man's mouth ticked up. "That's the fun part." He cradled her into his arms and carried her back onto the shore of the beach. Usually, one could hardly call a youth of fifteen a man, but because of the strenuous work Ben had gone through over three years his body had developed in a more unusual pattern.

Placing Gwen down on the sand, he muttered, "Don't move." And she obeyed, lying on the beach letting the warm sun absorb all of the salt water that was now covering her body.

From behind her, in the direction Ben had run off to, she heard the noise of the Omnitrix being activated. Rolling her eyes, she wondered what he could be up to this time.

Her answer came quickly as the sun seemed to have blacked out, but then realized that Four Arms was right above her head holding a very large amount of sand.

"Ben, don't you dare-" but her voice was lost as the sand came down on her body – missing her face just as she had done for him.

"Now look at this...you're trapped under a whole bunch of sand and you have no way to get up. Now you have no choice but to stay here all day." The voice of the alien speaking to her was masculine and grumpy-sounding.

"You're crazy."

"Actually, it was pretty smart of me to do this. Come on, you've gotta admit." He pushed the Omnitrix symbol on his chest and returned to his natural human form.

"I'm not going to admit anything. You threw a whole bunch of sand on me."

"Only because you did it first. I told you I was going to get you back."

She huffed. "All I did was kick a little bit on you. And here you come with ten pounds of the stuff. I can't even move my arms!"

"Oh alright, I don't want to here you whine all day either."

Gwen smiled, she found her way out. Ben began to use his hand to brush the sand off of her but soon realized that it would take forever to get it all off that way. Leaning back, and using his arms for leverage, his kicked his feet at the large sand pile until his cousin was finally able to lift herself out of it.

Standing up, she assessed her body. If it were Halloween, she could have been the sandman with as much sand as she had over her skin. The water had made it stick even more than it usually does.

"Ugh," she groaned, "you know how long it's going to take me to get all of this off?"

"What does it matter?" He shrugged. "We're at a beach, basically, and there's sand all over the place."

"Yeah, but I'd rather it stay on the ground. It makes me feel uncomfortable when it's all over my body."

"Well, here let me help," he came towards her and motioned his hands to brush the grains from her bare back.

Gwen backed away with a nervous expression. "No Ben I-"

"What's the matter?"

"It's just that...I...I'm not used to you...touching me like that."

He blinked. "I don't understand. You fall asleep with me hugging you sometimes."

"But that's different. I'm right on the edge of sleep or something and all you're really doing is putting your arms around me. This is...different."

"It's not like I'm going to hurt you or anything. I'm just trying to help get the sand off of you. After all, I did put it on you."

She fidgeted with her hands for a moment, an obvious sign of intense nervousness. Her eyes went from one side to another. "But I-"

"Look, if it makes you uncomfortable or if you're having this much trouble deciding I can just not help. It's okay, really."

Gwen sighed and looked back at him. He stood in front of her, just a few feet away and backing up to show he was being honest – a trait that had grown into his character over time on the island.

"No," she started, "I don't mind you helping. You're right anyways. You're just brushing sand off."

Ben nodded and slowly came up to her, as if she was going to pull out a weapon and hit him. She smiled at _his_ change in attitude at becoming timid.

As soon as his skin contracted with hers she shivered slightly at such an intentional touch. Soon she became more calm and okay as his hand brushed away hundreds of orange sand grains from her body, and she realized how much trust she had for him. He had promised to only help remove the sand and do nothing more – and she believed him. Gwen would have been more worried about any other _fifteen-year-old_ helping her like this, but not Ben. Not anymore.

After helping him, most of the grains were gone from her body and no longer stuck to her skin. There were still stragglers, but nothing that bothered her.

Ben stood in front of her with a stern and serious expression plastered on his face. His eyes were unmoving and his lips pursed with no smile.

"Anything I can help you with..."

"Not re-"

"your majesty," he finished with a false bow.

She pushed him onto the sand. "Back to your old antics, huh?"

"No, just had to break the awkward moment," he spoke bluntly.

Gwen plopped down beside him – crackling the sand under her weight. "Ben, we shouldn't have awkward moments."

Her cousin fixed himself upright and moved close to her, his shoulders touching hers. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"I mean that I shouldn't have a problem with you helping me with something as silly as brushing sand off."

"Gwen...it's only natural that you would feel something like that. I'm your cousin after all. Most relatives don't do that sort of stuff."

"And why do you have to keep bringing that up? That we're cousins?" she shot back.

"Because you _are _my cousin."

"Well it just makes me feel all weird about this whole situation sometimes. Just because we found this island and are now trapped here, doesn't mean that we should forget about everything that we used to know. What do you think would happen if we somehow did get back? Do you know how bad that would be for us?"

"I...I really don't understand. Why are you...never mind. I guess I do kind of understand." He sighed heavily, his chest slightly heaving.

Gwen looked over towards him and tried to see passed his hair into his eyes. She caught a glimpse of them as they shimmered. He looked wounded – more so than when the boat piece had impaled him.

Ben could feel her stare on him, but desperately tried to keep his feelings away from her. He understood that Gwen was the bright student and most strict about following rules and laws, but he was confused on how she was suddenly reacting to him after three years. It seemed that some part of her resented expressing a true love for her cousin.

That night they slept in their typical spot on the shoreline, but this time their backs were facing each other and both refused to speak to one another. Ben's mind was having a hard time comprehending Gwen's words and their meanings – if they could even be understood.

She, on the other hand, was unsure about what she had said herself. When they first arrived, she had told herself that it shouldn't matter what everyone else thought or what stupid government laws saw. But a certain part of her, a more uptight and star student conscious, was beginning to appear. It had been in her for a while, and usually would only show when they needed knowledge to help them on the island. But now it seemed that it was becoming more dominant and commanding of her own mind. As though the understanding side of her was being overthrown. But exactly why it was happening was a mystery to her.

The night wind was cold, and sent chills creeping around Gwen's skin. Something in her head told her to cuddle up beside Ben like she always had done every night when she felt the need for warmth. Unfortunately, that just did not seem to be an option anymore.

**Short, but I think it covers all that I had in mind. Please review.**

**Do you not have an account on FanFiction? Well that's alright, but I'd still love to hear a review from you. Just click the little review button below this page and a box will appear. You can review without a FF account. Please do so.**


	6. Chapter 6: Patience

**Message on Review(s)**

**To ThatFanFicGuy – **First of all, your name was a bit funny to type. Now, anyways, on to your review. I have a few comments of my own. And in that sense, we come to number one. First Ben and Gwen are not "dating" or "courting" or whatever term you want to use. They are simply lovers in a blunt term. Dating and girlfriends and marriage and blah blah blah are simple terms used in well-populated countries that describe what to put on legal papers. There are two people on the island... Two more things – Ben still has an Omnitrix time limit, except because of the encounter with Vilgax in the original series, he was smart enough to know that by pressing the symbol he can transform back into his human self. I did not know XLR8 could run on water either...

Also, the wound that was inflicted on him from the boat, as I recall writing, was a thin sliver and when Gwen took it out she noticed that it had not gone in far enough to really hurt him or cause any bad damage. The pain from being impaled, however, was enough to knock him out for a good while. Ah and one more thing...Gwen going a bit psycho over Ben being her cousin and her loving him in an unusual way is two things happening to her. You remember how strict and organized and rule-following Gwen was in the original series right? Well that's her old personality coming back and trying to take control, but exactly why? Hmm...(read below)

**To doc boy –** What's wrong with being on an island for three years? Heck I would rather be stuck on in island than sitting in the states. America is boring.

**To starmaker12** – Oh ha ha...no really that actually made me smile when I read it.

**To MrBlack103** – I mean of course, basing love on sole sexual attraction is why so many bad relationships bloom. But one that is based purely on feeling of security, sanctuary, and protection seems to be blissful and almost impossible in the world today. Thank you for your review and a wonderful agreement.

**That's today's mail wrapped up. To be honest, this story is taking a weird turn that I had not originally planned it to. But everyone likes a bit of drama sometimes, so hopefully I can replace what I had planned on writing. The one time I do not write my story outline down...is when I forget it.**

Chapter 6: _**Patience**_

The next morning, Ben awoke and notice that Gwen was no where near him and that she was wondering off in the distance. Pacing back in forth and shaking her head once every so often.

He squinted his eyes in confusion and wonder at what she could possibly be doing. Last night she had suddenly started acting strange, and almost as if she was trying to make herself feel alone.

"Gwen!" he called out loudly.

She stopped moving for a brief moment and looked at him. But the moment was soon gone and she continued what she had been doing.

"Pacing is never healthy," he muttered, sounding exactly like his grandfather.

The tall figure stood up from the sandy beach and stretched in the morning sun. It was yet another cloudless day with a nice warm breeze coming off of the sea.

Ben walked over to Gwen halfway across the shoreline and stood right in her path of pacing, waiting for her to turn around and see him there.

The time did not come when her head would lift to notice him there. Her mind seemed unkempt and preoccupied as she was muttering inaudible words.

She bumped into Ben without ever seeing him before her.

He grabbed her shoulders and stopped her from trying to go around him. Bringing his eye level to hers he searched her for something to tell him why she had seemed to go AWOL in her own mind.

"Gwen...is something wrong. What's bothering you? Why are you suddenly hating me."

Her green eyes flickered from one point in his to another. They moved quickly, but were extremely bloodshot from something.

"I'm fine, doofus, now please move."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Doofus? You haven't said that to me in a while. I was kind of getting used to it."

"Yeah well get over it, because you are one." Her tone wasn't playful or joking. It was quite serious, and it caused her cousin to release her shoulders and take a step back.

"Please tell me what's wrong. I really can't just read you like a book."

She continued to stare at him with angry eyes, but her feelings behind them were only masked. She felt alone, forlorn, and confused. Something inside of her was raging and causing her own thoughts to turn against her conscious.

Throwing her hands against her head she knelt down slightly. "Just go away and leave me alone."

"I-if...that's what you really want. I don't want to make you angry. I _am_ sorry I can't help you."

Suddenly, the whole island felt too small to even be walked on in Gwen's mind. The sand felt too close and the forest seemed to be a barrier to keep the two constrained. Her breathing had been short but quick all morning.

"It's not...yes...it...I don't know!" She shouted and took off into the forest.

"Gwen wait!" yelled Ben, extending his arm in an attempt to grab her, but she had already made it out of his reach.

The plants brushed against her bare legs and thighs as she pushed passed them into the dense jungle of the island. She barely kept her eyes open as salty tears streamed down her flushed cheeks and vines and flora scratched against her face.

The trees seemed taller than usual and to her, crowded the island even more. They shouldn't be there, she thought, they're taking up all of the space.

Even against her thoughts, they stood tall, but still had enough courtesy to lean in different directions rather than be fully erect and seem mighty. They were kind and gentle, providing shade for those who needed it and food for some.

Gwen's feet pattered against the soft thinly-grassed jungle floor with quiet smacks. That was, until her blind vision blocked out a branch of a tree extending directing at her eye level. She came in direct contact with it as it smacked against her forehead.

The blow was enough to send her tumbling backwards onto her backside. As soon as she hit the soft ground with a thud, she fully opened her eyes and took in a deep breath. It was almost as if she had been smacked in the face by reality. Things seemed to be clearer and no longer were they blocked out by watery tears or heavy gasps for breath.

She looked around her at all of the palm trees and weird extending plants. Through them she could see the beautiful blue waters. Of course, she knew they were not blue in real color, but the ocean always seemed nicer from a distance.

Gwen sat still in her landing spot and began to think – instead of rationalize and scream. Her breathing seemed to slow and her thoughts were no longer in a jumbled mess.

So she started asking herself questions and thinking of answers to them. _What's wrong with me and what's happening. Why do I care...what other people would think about me liking Ben? I mean...we're on an island._

A small rodent withered through some of the longer grass in front of her and climbed up a low-hanging tree. The cool breeze came through and made vines and leaves rustle with a calming sensation.

_And why did I all of the sudden get mad at Ben and call him...doofus?_ She giggled at the memory, as thinking back to it made her feel a bit stupid. But his reaction had been funny to her.

The questions came and went in her mind and she could not come up with an answer that satisfied her. It made her feel discontented and frustrated that she had suddenly had an outburst out of no where and with a different personality. It just wasn't her to have done any of those things.

_At least Ben didn't get mad like I was sure he would. He didn't even look angry. He just wanted to help._

"And I told him to go away," she sobbed and curled her knees to her face – feeling as though she had betrayed someone so gentle and kind.

"You know, there isn't really anywhere to go," a voice came beside her.

Gwen whirled her head out of her raised lap and spun it around to see Ben lounging in an L shaped tree branch slurping a liquid from a brown fruit that coated the island. He looked quite savage with no clothes on but a pair of boxers almost two sizes too small.

She did not look directly at him, but smiled – almost laughed – as she spoke. "Now you really look like Tarzan hanging in a tree with long brown hair."

He shrugged. "Tarzan looks like me. What can I say? Hey...speaking of Tarzan...I never really watched the movie. Do you think you could tell it to me sometime. You know, like a story?"

"Yeah," she started, looking a bit awkward, "not likely. But really Ben, you haven't seen any Disney movies have you?"

"No, they all seemed pretty boring to me and were always about some princess getting saved by a prince who happened to be the nicest guy in the world. Weren't princes mean and snotty?"

Gwen stood and bowed, just as he had done last night. "Yes, Prince Benjamin, they were mean and snotty. Oh and slobs too. Don't forget slobs."

There was a silence for a moment as the two stared at one another with strict, unmoving expressions. But just as the moment had come it passed and brought laughter to them.

It feels good to laugh with him again, she thought.

Ben's laugh was no longer a childish snicker, it was a masculine noise that seemed to come right from his stomach – just like their grandfather's.

But during his laughter he had shook himself a bit too much. His eyes got wide and his hands flailed to grab onto something, but he still ended up falling from the tree. Luckily, it was only three feet in the air.

The cocoanut he had been consuming flew above him, and as soon as he landed it was on top of his head. The cold, milky substance soon began to coat his cranium and run into his vision.

This only caused Gwen to extend her moment of laughter for another few seconds. But soon it was all over and she came up beside him – helping him brush the cocoanut juice from his eyes.

"Thanks," Ben muttered as her slender finger ran above his forehead and removed any of the food source that threatened his eyesight.

"It would be wrong for me not to help a damsel in distress." she said without a smile, being as serious as possible.

"Okay, you're taking that way too far now."

"I know." She sighed and stared off into the distance. "But what else am I supposed to say right now? Sorry I yelled at you and started acting all crazy, but we can just forget about all of that now."

"Well...yeah. I mean, you seem fine now. This morning you were all wide-eyed and looked like you had lost yourself."

"Maybe I did..."

He stared at her as she kept her sights on the blue ocean past the tall tree line, listening to the silent music of waves crashing and winds howling. Then he noticed something.

"Gwen," he spoke, putting his palm to her forehead. "What happened-"

"I ran into a tree." She spoke bluntly and expected him to start the laughing session again.

Fortunately for her, Ben could sense that the mood was not one set up for laughter at what someone else had done. Not yet anyways.

"Oh," was all he mentioned for a while. "I guess we're lucky then. You might have gone crazy on me if that nice tree had not been right in front of you."

"Well it was more of a branch," she fumed.

"And branches aren't trees?"

"Well..."

"Come on Gwen, I know that you know the definition of a tree. Or at least what they're made up of."

"A woody plant that typically has a single trunk and bears at least a few branches."

Ben smiled. "See...that sounded just like it would out of my school text book...if they had anything about trees in there."

"I don't understand. How can you not be mad at me for yelling at you or any of that?"

He looked from one side to another. "Should I be?"

She shot him a poisonous stare, as if saying _just answer the question._

"Alright alright...I guess I just thought it would be better to be patient and stay calm instead of getting angry all of the time. I'm sor-"

"What did I say about being sorry?"

"Uh I...feel...bad that staying calm makes you think I should have been angry."

"Ben that doesn't even make sense." Gwen rolled her eyes, and leaned over onto his shoulder. "But to be honest, I'm the one that needs to be sorry this time. I don't know what suddenly came over me and I don't know why it made me act differently. But I just hope it doesn't happen again."

Ben did not respond, but only adjusted himself to be able hold Gwen's weight leaning on his and making sure she was comfortable – even if it caused him a bit of discomfort.

She had always liked to relax in a curled-ball shape, so she brought her legs close to her chest and cuddled up beside him.

"You're not going to tell me that you feel weird doing this later, are you?"

"No," she replied not moving, "I don't think it should matter. I'm done worry and being self-conscious about people that we may never see again. Besides...I have you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" His voice was skeptical.

She smiled at his plain idiocy that he seemed to have sometimes. "I mean I have a friend. A really good friend and the first friend in my life."

"First!" he sounded shocked, "I'm sure you've had way more than just me."

"Not really, no."

"Now you're just lying. What about all those people you hung out with at school."

"Well...they weren't really friends. They were just people I talked to and sometimes laughed with. I never really could say they were _friends_."

Ben was slowly catching on. "So what is your definition of the word _friend._ I don't want to hear something that sounds like you just Googled it. I want to know what you think."

"A friend to me is someone who I can talk to. And I mean really talk to about anything. A person who will listen without laughing in the middle of what I might say or who might be thinking how stupid I am. It's somebody who I can be all me around and they wouldn't have a problem with it. I won't have to put a fake smile on or say I like when I don't just to feel comfortable."

There was a brief silence in which Ben was comprehending it all and really looking at the meaning in what she said. It gave him a surge of strong feelings – they felt different in an amazing way. Almost like there was no place on the planet that he would rather be during that moment.

"Wow that actually makes me feel good...I like this nice you. Please don't go back to being that scary other person."

She slapped him on the back of his head. "Hopefully I won't," she said timidly.

"You don't sound too sure."

"Well I don't know why I all of the sudden snapped...I don't know if it will happen again or not. I just _hope_ it doesn't...and that's all I can do."

It was Ben's turn to have the words of comfort. He let all of his prankish attitude fade away and his mind became a plantation of seriousness.

"Don't worry about it. If it ever happens again I'm not going to get mad or angry. Remember that I just want to help you when something goes wrong...not make it worse and regret it later."

Many people in Gwen's life could be trusted with minor things. But to her, Ben could be trusted with anything of her own. Her thoughts, her secrets, her belongings.

"I know."

**. . .**

As the day grew old clouds rolled in from what they believed was the south. The direction in which they came was uncertain to the two, as they really didn't have a sense of it, which is why they never tried to leave the island at first.

The clouds were large and puffy, but even worse, dark gray. Soon they overthrew the suns rays and took control over the once blue sky. However, this was all they did for the greater portion of that day. No rain had ever come. There were a few strikes of bright lightning off in the distance followed by the moan of thunder.

Nightfall came in and the island was dark, as the moon had been covered by the sky intruders. Because there had been no sun most of the day, the temperature dropped noticeably. Still, though, the two castaways took to lying in their normal spot on the sand just behind the shore.

"Now that I think about it...I don't think burning our old clothes was such a good idea. We could have used them for blankets." Gwen said as she motioned to lie on the ground.

Ben simply plopped onto the sand and used his own hands to lie on – not that the sand wasn't soft enough. "Not much we can do about it now."

"Yeah that's true..." She eyed the open spot next to Ben, but hesitated for a moment. In the end she decided to sleep a few feet away from him.

As soon as she lie down in front of him, out of his arms reach, he spoke. "Why are you all the way over there? It's cold Gwen...come over here."

She smiled unknowingly to him. "I was hoping you would say that. I didn't want to go anywhere uninvited." Without getting up, she scooted backwards until she came in contact with his body. He gently put one hand over her side and tied it around her stomach. The warmth that he brought to her was comfortable and it was much better than a bed – which she had at times wished she had.

"You don't have to be invited to lie next to me. As long as...you're okay with it."

"Ben," she started, gently pushing her head back onto his and began to feel his hands run through her soft hair, "I've told you. It doesn't matter to me anymore. I'm comfortable like this and that's all I care about."

"And that's all I care about too."

"Oh and for the record...I wasn't _all the way_ over there. I was just in front of you."

He let loose a grin, and soon their speech died out and their eyes closed. Soon, a trance known as sleep came over them. For some reason though...they both dreamed of somewhere rainy and and full of water.


	7. Chapter 7: Casey

Chapter 7: _**Casey**_

The chill of the rain soon woke Ben up from his short slumber. He could tell goosebumps had formed all over his arms and legs, as they were the most sensitive part of a person to temperature.

He sat still as the droplets crashed onto his body and began to roll in one direction until they formed droplets once again and poured from his tanned skin.

The sun had yet to arise and the sky was cloud-filled with only a hint of light. Everything above him shimmered with a blue tinge as rain made the atmosphere appear fuzzy or misty.

He had begun to move and planned to stand up in order to shake all of the sand that was now clinging to his soaking body, but at the moment he tried to untie his arms from Gwen she pulled them back around her.

"It's cold...don't move yet," she whispered against the rain.

"I thought you might be up..." Ben fixed himself back on the ground and pushed her closer to him in order to try and keep her away from the cold. It was futile.

"You wouldn't have to think. The rain kind of hits you hard enough so you can't go to sleep. And with barely any clothes on...well...it's cold."

"Tell me about it," he rolled his eyes, "at least you have a shirt."

"Yeah and it's probably three sizes too small now."

He didn't respond, but simply lie next to her and looked towards the open waters. They were pretty, he thought, when it rained. The sea seemed even more of a mystery now that the falling water had shortened their visibility distance.

The trees behind them shook mildly from the wind and slapped against each other, as if they were fighting and blaming one another for the rain – which tropical flora doesn't need too often. There were no sounds of seagulls or any animal, as they were all in hiding from the weather. But not the two companions lying on the beach. They breathed in the chilling air and refreshing fresh water as if it was part of every day life.

"You know...there's something I've always wanted to do in the rain." Gwen said, talking almost to no one.

"And what's that?"

"Dance."

Ben almost started to laugh. It seemed so common for someone to want to dance in the rain, and forget about the troubles that they dealt with. However, they seemed to not having in troubles on the island – none that he could think of at least.

"Well who do you want to dance with? I mean there's a lot of people here and it might be hard to choose," he snickered.

Gwen decided to play along. "It really is difficult," she bit her bottom lip, "hmm."

"Hurry...time is running out."

"I could choose Jack from the Football team, but he_ is_ one grade higher than me. Or maybe that Kevin kid that you used to be fighting all of the time could come back. He was really a stunner."

Ben winced. "Are you serious?"

"Oh _of course_. The way he never showered and always thought he could do whatever he wants – stepping all over people – was _really_ attractive."

"I'm sure I could find him around here somewhere. He's probably the guy wearing the white tux down by the punch bowl."

"But there is one other person..."

"And who is that?" he couldn't help but grin.

"He might be hard to see. His hair is long and unkempt, and his eyes are an amazing tone of green. He's even got a little bit of facial hair growing along his chin."

Ben gasped. "He does?" He unraveled one of his arms and shot it up towards his chin. Sure enough, there were a few stubs of hair growing. After realizing it, he finally answered slowly and admirably, "He _does..._"

Gwen laughed. "Come on you big doofus, get up and dance with me."

They both stood, and tried to brush as much of the wet sand off of their bodies as they could – leaving whatever was left for the rain to deal with.

"You remember how to do this, right?" she asked.

He lifted both of his hands up and tried to put memories and actions together. After a brief moment, he did remember. His left hand moved around to her waist and his right hand took hold of her left.

"Like this right?" he wondered.

"Of course you would remember this part...it's probably the only part you liked about me teaching you to dance."

"No way!" he cried back, faking being hurt by what she said. "There is one other thing I remember."

"It's probably not how to dance..."

"I remember you saying I looked like my underwear was too tight." He put on a sheepish smile as if he had accomplished something that wasn't exactly prideful.

"Are you serious?" Gwen looked shocked. "I have to teach you all over again?"

His smile faded slightly, leaving a slight grin. "Nah, I was just kidding. You don't give me enough credit, Gwen. I'm not _that_ stupid."

She sighed. "Well, sometimes I do wonder..."

"You're not the only one..."

"Alright...let's just start by how we did back in the RV. I'll take the lead since you weren't exactly the best at it."

He shrugged. "I was never taught before."

"They usually don't teach dancing to kids who grew up in zoos."

Ben hid a smile, but seemed to ignore her statement. "Come on Gwen, move your right foot forward first-"

"Now you're teaching _me_?"

They both said nothing more as Gwen did as she was instructed. Her right foot moved forward and Ben's left went backwards. The same went for their opposite feet and the continued to do so, occasionally sidestepping.

The rain had caused their unnaturally long hair to fall down and blur their vision, but it was comfortable. For some reason, back in the cities, going outside in the rain was not very appealing. But here on the island, it was like walking into a fantasy movie. And it all felt just how anyone would imagine it. Blissful.

Wind would continue to blow the flora around carelessly, and every now and then cause the two cousin's hair to fly from their eyes – giving each of them a moment to look at each other. What hid under the brown and orange was pure and untamed green eyes. No one they knew, but one another, had that same enchanting color. Most people had a pale green, or in many cases hazel. But not Ben and Gwen, their color was surreal.

That summer in the RV, Ben had been quite clumsy in dancing, but apparently that short practice session (and then break-up by Max) had given him enough experience to keep up with her. Their feet did not once intertwine and cause the dance to fail misreably.

"What do you think our parents are doing right now?" the girl with orange hair asked.

Ben sighed. He had tried hard not to think about the pain and hurt their trip had caused his family.

"To be honest I have no idea."

Gwen blew her bangs out of her eyes so he could see how she was feeling without having to speak her emotions. They were tear-stricken and squinted as if she were trying to keep them inside.

Ben stopped dancing and let go of her hand – putting it behind her and now pulling her into a hug.

"No matter what they're doing, or how they're feeling, there isn't anything we can do," he said while stroking her hair.

"I know," she whispered into his shoulder, "but there's something that I feel so selfish for thinking about..."

"It can't be that bad."

"It is!" she hissed. "I'm such a horrible person for thinking it."

"What is it?"

For a while their was no response, but simply the sound of rain around them and the slow movement of their chests as air came in and then out.

"I-" she began hesitantly, "I kept wishing that we would never go back. That there would be no way to go home."

Many people, if not everyone besides Ben Tennyson, would have been shocked or angry that anyone could hope upon such a horrible fate. But oddly...he understood. Being an outcast in his childhood, he could relate to how the island was so much better than being back home. Around family.

Instead of responding, he continued to cradle her in the rain. Not speaking to console her or to tell how much he might have once wished the same thing. Just holding her body close to his, creating an area of warmth amongst the rain.

In all of his life before being washed up onto an island, he could never of imagined feeling love and being able to hold its image in his own arms. Impossible, he would think. Maybe he had died three years ago on the wreckage? Gwen ever admitting feelings for him was far-fetched enough.

But just like similar thoughts that came to him, he responded thinking, _if I did die, then this is heaven._

The pirates from stories and fairytales who were marooned on islands were said to have gone mad – losing their mind and control over their emotions. Those who were stranded would work themselves trying to find food or build shelter – when it was typically right in front of them. Not this pair of cousins. They had each other to keep them sane, and keep a protective hold.

Food had been easy to find, along with the help of Gwen's powers and the aliens from the Omnitrix. One of the largest survival factors seemed so simple to the two. Shelter was yet another trivial obstacle that they appeared to ignore or find futile. Even if they knew how to build one, they were certain that they wouldn't need one.

In the midst of their silent conversation, a screeching sound could be heard close to the jungle line – much closer than most of the animal noises that they normally heard.

Ben looked up and turned around. "It sounds like a..."

"Monkey," Gwen finished, releasing her hold on him.

They strode over towards the place where flora began to grow and the entrance to the green jungle at the center of the island started.

Looking upwards and into the palms, they spied for the animal that had created the noise.

"They usually don't come this close," Gwen pointed out.

"Yeah I know. Maybe it's hurt or something?"

"Maybe..."

Much to their surprise, a small furry animal sprung from behind palm bushes – landing directly atop Ben's head.

"Ah Get it off!" He yelled, as the brown-furred monkey tried to snuggle into his long hair.

Gwen tried to assist her cousin, but a tingling feeling arose from her stomach to her chest and she fell to the sand, laughing.

"Seriously Gwen this isn't funny!"

She did not respond, and stayed put on the ground laughing – not caring that the rain was causing of all the grains her body touched to attach to her skin.

Ben was able to get a hold of the animal's fur. He pinched tightly and brought himself face to face with his miniature attacker.

"So," he started as if the monkey could respond, "you think it's funny to jump on people's heads like that do you? Though I'm sure you haven't seen a human before...being stranded-"

Before he was able to finish, a kick from a small, bony foot was landed on his nose.

"Ow!"

Scurrying along the sand as Ben had lost his grip on it, the monkey ran over towards Gwen and decided to hide behind her head – snuggling into her hair.

She sat up and made no sudden move. The animal didn't seem to be bothering her and only sat atop her head eying Ben – as if he was an enemy, which might be possible.

"Yeah it goes crazy on my head, but on yours it just sits there."

"I don't know...maybe he likes me better than you?"

Ben scoffed. "It's a monkey. It can't _like_ anyone."

"That's not true. Monkeys are smart. You know, they're actually really similar to humans. Which is probably why I always thought you were one."

Ben started to walk closer to Gwen, but before he got too close, the animal atop her head screeched and jabbed at him.

"Whoa...Gwen that thing is dangerous. Here, give it to me and I'll throw it back into where it came from."

"No!" she exclaimed. "Ben, you are not throwing this monkey!"

"Well, what are we gonna do with it? Keep it? We don't exactly have monkey food."

"We can feed it some bananas, or maybe it likes fish?"

Ben rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Sure, whatever, a monkey as a pet? Fine...what's its name?"

"Casey," she replied very quickly, which was unexpected, as she usually takes more time into thinking of things such as names.

"Why Casey?"

"Because Casey means brave, and I think this little guy was pretty brave at jumping down at us like that."

Gwen stood and brushed some of the sand from her body. She then turned to head towards a tree which held bananas atop it.

Before she was able to use her mana to get them down, Casey sprung from her arms and scrambled up the trunk – knocking down the whole bunch of yellow fruits.

"Look at that Ben, he knows how to get his own food."

The youth of fifteen groaned. A new addition to their miniscule _castaway_ family. And a monkey at that.

**. . .**

After the morning passed, the rain cleared up and sunshine had begun to pass through the clouds – breaking them apart. Bringing with it, the noon sun.

The pack of three headed down shore to a place where Ben had gathered pearls for Gwen's birthday present. Casey wasn't too interested in getting wet, so he stayed along the shore – chasing after crabs.

Gwen was looking admirably at all of the seashells under the surface, gathering ones that stuck out to her. It had become a pastime activity of hers earlier – just months after arriving on the island.

Ben helped, by dunking under and grabbing ones that she requested. He loved how he could go under the water, find what she was looking for, and witness a smile come to her face. It was one of the reasons why he did so many things _for her. _

"Look at that one!" Gwen exclaimed, pointing towards a spot under the water.

Ben looked at the object she was pointing at and he himself was quite impressed with what he saw. Lying behind a large amount of sand was a conch shell. From what they could tell, it was still whole, which most of them were. The island hadn't been scavenged by ravaging amounts of tourist like the public beaches.

Diving under the sea, he reached downwards and picked up the phenomenon of nature – bringing it back with him to share with his companion.

"You think I could throw _this_ one at Casey?" Ben asked.

Gwen snatched the shell from him. "For the last time, will you just leave that poor monkey alone? Who knows, he could have lost his parents and doesn't have anywhere else to go." She flinched at the statement, as it related to her peril as well.

"Or he could just be bothering us..."

"Bothering you maybe. He's not doing anything to me. And I want to keep him."

Ben sulked. "Fine, but only because you want to."

She genuinely smiled. "Thanks Ben." His approval really mattered to her. If something she did upset him, she usually stopped whatever it was, because he had always done the same for her. Had he said no, the chance that Gwen might have abandoned the animal would have been quite high.

They both walked back upon the shore and Casey instantly noticed – jumping right onto Gwen's back and climbing up to her hair. Nestling in the same place he had previously done.

Ben smiled slightly, as he was beginning to admire the furry animal's perseverance. It reminded him of himself at a young age. Maybe the creature was just a child?

"At least he doesn't smell bad like those ones at the zoo. He actually smells kinda fruity."

"Yeah, he does," agreed Gwen, glad that her hair wouldn't be smelling like zoo-monkey. A smell like that would take a while to wash out in salt-water – which wasn't exactly good for anyone's hair. Or she could, at the very most, wait for more rain.

A thought quickly popped into Ben's mind, and it slightly worried him. "Will he be taking my spot by you tonight?"

She smiled in return – knowing that it did matter to him, but at the same time she felt a little devious. "One side." Gwen then galloped playfully away with the creature above her – kicking sand upwards and in multiple directions while whistling some tune. She felt good. Free and open. No rules, and nothing to bother them. Stranded on an uninhabited island with nobody but the one person who loved her beyond measure.

Ben stood in the sand watching her happily dance away from him. The warm sea water would crawl up his ankles and then sink back down into the bowl known as the ocean. He put his hands on his hips – and felt something thick in his chest.

Happiness. It was happiness he was feeling. He had always thought he had been happy before. On his birthday, or Christmas. But this new feeling almost gaze tears to his eyes, and would not allow his smile to fade as he eyed Gwen.

_Maybe,_ he thought, _maybe being stranded isn't all that bad. Well, when you're with someone you like. As long as you don't completely freak out...it's actually...nice._

He shook slightly at calling the accident that had led them there to be _nice._

The sun to the right of him was falling lower and lower. Casting tints of orange and red in the sky and shadowing sides of clouds. Days went by so quickly now it seemed. But time was endless. It could not be spent or saved. Only used.


	8. Chapter 8: Happily Ever After or Not

Chapter 8: **Happily Ever After...or Not**

Ben awoke to something banging against his head. He had begun to think that it was his mother trying to wake him up on the first day of school, but then he opened his eyes.

Staring directly up he noticed the sky with a pinkness to it from the rising sun. Few clouds and a light wind – all very normal.

But was not normal was the fact that Casey was slapping the back of his head with a banana he had obtained from a nearby tree.

"Ow...ow hey stop that!" He stood to chase after the furry animal.

Gwen heard the noises and awoke – rubbing her eyes and moving her orange hair out of her vision. When awoken, most people do not want to be presented with a fight, but the quarrel between her cousin and the monkey was hysterical.

"Those two..." she said shaking her head. It was almost as if the monkey were a human part of their little family. It definitely could keep Ben entertained.

The fifteen-year-old made a dive for what he considered an annoying pest. Unfortunately, the only thing that ended up in his grasp was quite a bit of sand.

Spitting it from his mouth, he spoke to Gwen. "I swear, if I have to wake up to him hitting me every morning then I'm going to dig a steep hole and bury him in it."

Casey stopped scurrying along the sand and turned to Ben as if he could understand the English that was spoken.

"Looks like he heard you, Ben." the onlooker said.

"He better. Maybe that will make him act like a good monkey."

"Oh _I'm sure..."_ sarcasm oozing from her words.

"And you!" He spun completely around to face Gwen. "You let him take my favorite spot on the left side by you!"

Making yet another dive, he was able to grab hold of her sides and bring her to the sand.

Without protesting she started to giggle and eventually laugh as he tickled her. His fingers running up and down her ribs and just under her arms.

Casey ran around them screeching some nonsense as if it were all a ritual.

Ben continued as Gwen seemed preoccupied with laughter – but that wasn't the only thing that was being done. Amongst her giggles and trembles she was straining to concentrate her mana. Each time her cousin would tickle her she would be powerless to stop him. He had control.

Not this time, though. She devised a plan a while back in case he ever tried again. Just behind them – towards the ocean – was the forming of a large wave.

Suddenly, Casey's screeching turned into frantic calling and he ran to seek refuge amongst the forest bushes.

Ben stayed oblivious to it all, but soon slowed down and stopped when he noticed a shadow looming over his head.

"Aww come on..." he groaned as the wave came down upon his head. Oddly enough, there was a split in the water where Gwen lay – and she was untouched by it all.

His body road the water until it started to dissipate. But the attack had been so large that where he ended up was not to be expected.

"Hey! Help!" his voice came from somewhere high.

Gwen sat up and stood – looking around. "I don't see you..." she called in amazement. Her powerful wave might have been a little too much.

"Up here..."

She tilted her head upwards and saw Ben hanging from a palm leave in a tree.

"I always knew you were a monkey." yelled Gwen, forming a blue disk from thin air to help him down.

"Yeah yeah...I'm not tickling you anymore."

"Why not? It's only fair that I can attack back."

The blue mana disk solidified and hovered underneath Ben's feet. He let go of the leaf – fully trusting his cousin's powers that it would be safe. He hit the disk with a buzz sound and found it was rather stable.

"You didn't just attack back. You did a full-on assault."

She shrugged as Ben jumped to the ground in front of her. "Didn't know my own strength."

He opened his mouth to protest the statement but decided against it. She could throw water at him now...

"You scared Casey away!" Ben cried out in surprise – looking for the monkey under shifted sand and washed-up seaweed.

"I thought you didn't like him? Why do you seem so worried?"

The fifteen-year-old stopped searching and looked into Gwen's green eyes that were peering through strands of beautiful orange hair. "I...uh...because if we run out of food," his voice faked more worry and seemed to get higher, "then we won't have a backup source!"

She did not buy his act. Crossing her arms and shifting her weight to one side, she said, "Ben you can stop. I know you would never eat a monkey."

"Not yet," he continued, "we have to get him fatter. I mean...if we eat him now then it wouldn't even fill me up."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on let's go look for him."

"Alright," Ben smiled – feeling as though his fake attitude had worked.

The two walked up to the forest line and stepped over a few bushes. Ben had gone in first – lifted Gwen up and over a bushel of pine needles.

Once inside the noises and cries from multiple animals reminded them how alive it seemed. It was like another world lived right in the center of their outer sanctuary.

The dense jungle and multiple unknown areas and territories made Gwen tense up. There was so much they had not explorer because of obvious such as disease or aggressive animals.

Ben, sensing her struggle and remembering her worries of the inner location, took hold her hand – all playfulness gone from him. He was always serious when it came to things that bothered Gwen. Someone who laughed and teased her in a situation like this would not be a _someone _at all.

"We won't be here long," he assured her. "Besides, I'm sure that he will come running to use when we get close."

She nodded, keeping the firm stare on her face to try and not seem like a damsel in distress.

They moved forward – jumping over multiple roots from trees and overgrown bushes, and pushing past large leaves which only revealed more flora. It was more or less a maze – safe for the water that they could barely see past a few lines of trees. That was their only way they would know where to go when getting out.

"Casey!" Ben yelled.

"I don't really think he would come at the call of his name...I don't even know if _he _knows it."

"It can't hurt to try," he shrugged.

Gwen also shrugged. He was right - it was the _only_ thing they could do while going through the jungle. "Casey!"

The two moved forward – deeper into the mess of plants, trees, ferns, and much moss and grass. Everything was green or a dark shade of orange-brown. On occasion they would see a monkey, but much larger than Casey, swing through a palm to a vine hanging from a more tropical tree.

The jungle itself was not very wide, but it was quite long. Because the island was more of a double-circle shape, it extended far downwards. It made up most of the plot of land – while the large shore covered the outer parts.

However, for being part of the island it certainly didn't feel like it was. The air was thick and moist – causing the two to gasp for more breath than they would if climbing 100 stairs.

"Agh," Gwen groaned. "Ben...can we just wait by the water...it's really humid in here." She spoke slowly, as if she were asking to betray someone.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Besides, I'm sure he'll come out eventually."

The two turned back around and quickly walked back the way they came. It was easier than they had originally thought – as the parts they walked past were flattened or had leaves moved, making a perfect trail.

Soon the air felt thinner and more clear as they moved the last fern from their path. Bursting out into sunshine and sounds of crashing waves, Ben took a deep breath. He never liked going in there, it almost made him feel like he had claustrophobia.

But in front of them sat someone who they did not expect to see.

"Casey..." Ben murmured.

Gwen smiled. "I knew he couldn't stay away that long. The big wave must not have scared him much."

Ben simply walked passed her, wishing that the monkey would have gotten lost or went back with whatever orphans it must have come from.

Casey climbed upon Gwen's arms and strode back to his spot atop her head.

"Told you Ben, you can't get rid of this little guy," she winked at him.

The fifteen-year-old walked up to her and stood face to face with the animal. "But you listen here, if I wake up to one more of your banana fests, then I will find away to make you disappear."

Casey simply screeched at him as if they were about to engage in a verbal argument. But oddly enough...that's exactly what happened.

With familiar jaw movements and tongue positions – Casey spoke a fluent but computer-like English.

"Now, you pair cannot hide forever, for the Doctor has been watching!"

Gwen shrieked at the suddenness, falling to the ground with Casey sliding before her. Ben also gasped and tripped backwards – with the animal in between them. It continued to speak:

"And as we know Tennyson," he was referring to Ben, "you are not stranded here! You've known how to get off for years, but you insist on staying with that wretched cousin of yours!"

Ben's eyes narrowed at the truth. He became defensive and started to shout at the robotic thing that they had at first called an animal-friend.

"Who are you? How long have you been watching! Was that you in the sky?"

Meanwhile, on the other side of him, cogs and gears were turning in Gwen's mind. She was trying to put all of the pieces of the event in place.

_Doctor...Ben knows how to get off? He stays...because of me? Casey's a robot..._

And then truth filled in the gaps.

"Ben!" she shouted, "It's Animo!"

When the fur-covered creature heard this, it turned to face the girl with long, bright orange hair. With a demonic-computer sounding scream, it leaped at her – showing vicious, sharp teeth.

Before it got the chance to gnaw at her, its tail was grabbed. Gwen looked up to see Casey hanging from Ben's grasp right above her.

The adolescent smiled deviously. "It's time for the monkey to say bye-bye."

With a quick movement of sleight-of-hand, the robotic creature was thrown to the ground, the tail still in Ben's grip and its head under his foot.

He used his weight and cracked the skull, breaking whatever fragile compartments it was made from. With a dying voice it cried:

"Ten-ny-son..."

Gwen still sat and felt weird and foreign. _That's why it didn't want to go in the water, or why it got scared of my wave._

Shaking her head slowly, she realized that Ben had been holding a hand out to her – to help her up. For a minute she just looked at the gesture, but eventually took it.

"It's over..." she spoke slowly – on the verge of tears.

"It is..." Ben agreed, although on the wrong subject.

"Not that! I mean this...life. It was so perfect...every day, every morning, every night. You."

"No...Gwen it isn't...we just have to...we can-"

He looked at her as he too realized what was becoming of their paradise life. His eyes squinted and his gaze wander off. She was right. Someone had known they were here, and worse, it was Doctor Animo.

_Is she beautiful?_ Ben wondered to himself as he looked at Gwen once more. Perfect groups of orange hair grouped together in front of her vision, forming amazing spikes at the tips. She never really cared to move them away anymore – as there was no need to.

But for the first time in a while, he watched her push such surreal hair away from her eyes and behind her ears.

"Over..." she repeated once more, but this time let tears flow from her eyes. Falling to her knees in disbelief, she covered her face with the palms of her hands.

Ben wanted to kneel beside her, and kiss each falling tear to catch it – telling her it was all alright.

But everything was not alright or okay. She was right, their beautiful and unique life would have to change in order for them to keep safe from Animo.

"And..." suddenly her crying stopped and she looked at him with a bloodshot stare. He could only describe it as broken. "What did he mean...that you knew how to get off the island?"

Ben sighed. This was something he never wanted to reveal to her while they were there.

"He meant that...I could have used XLR8 to run on the water. It would have taken only minutes for me to get to one of the countries."

"So why didn't you?" she looked skeptical.

"Gwen...I just wanted to stay here. I remembered that he could do that a few weeks after being washed up here. But in that time...I realized life was so much better here. You and I are so much better here."

"But our parents..."

"I know," he answered quickly, "but...please...you have to understand I did this for you. To make you happy. This place made you happy, and that's all I wanted."

Gwen stood and came up to him, her warm breaths upon his chest and lower neck. She searched his eyes for something telling her it was all a lie. That _he_ was lying.

"You're serious...you didn't do it just because you wouldn't have to do math homework?" she raised an eyebrow.

Ben sharply took hold of both her hands – raising them up slightly. "For you..." he whispered next to her ear.

And for a moment...she forgot about all that had just happened, and leaned onto his shoulder with her hands in his. Still though, memories of their past revolved in her head, but these were different. She remembered when they had fallen asleep next to each other in the bench of the RV – listening to Ben's music pocket. They both loved the same music. She remembered the hug he gave her on Xenon...and how it was completely unexpected. She remembered the first time they had seen each other after that summer when they were twelve. She remembered how he had almost died during the boat explosion. Best of all, she remembered how they had spent three years together on the island.

Gwen stopped letting the memories come into her head. They were too happy, too good, too _perfect_. And the situation they were in was definitely not any of those.

"So what do we do now?" she wondered.

"Well...Animo somehow got that monkey here to spy on us. But still...it doesn't make sense. Why would he be spying when he usually just attacks? And was that him making all of that noise in the sky before?"

"I don't know, Ben...you're right though - things just aren't making sense." Gwen raised a hand to her head, releasing the hands that had been in hers.

_Get a hold of yourself,_ she thought, _there's no point in looking back. If we have to track Animo down...then that's what we need to do. Even...even if it means going back to Bellwood..._

Just the thought of seeing the city again, seeing the familiar people, made her feel broken, open, and incomplete. On the island, they were closed off from anyone else – no judgment and no problems. Now there would be no more soft sand between her toes, nights sleeping wrapped in Ben's arms in the rain. No more freedom. Did it all have to suddenly end? Couldn't they just get Animo and come back?

_No_, she thought, _it just wouldn't be the same._

"I guess we better get going then," she told Ben – who had not moved, but rather been staring at the ocean.

"What? So soon?" he asked, shocked.

"There's no point in staying anymore. We need to go get the bad guy. Like old times, right?" she forced a slight smile.

Although Ben did not return her grin, he just agreed sadly. "Yeah...I guess so."

They looked around the spot they had known for years now. There was nothing to _pack_ or prepare before leaving. Nothing they had was in condition to be taken.

"Well here goes nothing." Ben used the Omnitrix to transform into XLR8. He didn't seem to happy about any of it – who could be?

As soon as the alien appeared before her, Gwen ran up to it and grabbed its arm.

"Wait!" she cried. "Why can't we stay..." her feelings were suddenly mixed and confused, "I mean, we got rid of the monkey. Everything's over, right?"

XLR8 shook his narrow head. "No Gwen. We've been so oblivious towards everything. The noises in the sky, and who knows what else could be around here. Who knows how long he's been watching and what he could be planning?"

Picking her up bridal style, they were about to start off in the direction they had washed ashore from, but Gwen stopped once again.

"Hold on, I have to get something."

Jumping from his arms, she ran towards an area just before the jungle. There she had made a circular enclosure made of large seashells. Digging down a little ways, she uncovered a black-white pearl necklace that was kept there. She had made it from the pearls Ben gave her for one of her birthday presents.

Running back towards him, he picked her up once more.

"Ready?" he questioned.

"Ready." she answered.

In under a second, they were both zooming across ocean water. XLR8 seemed to move along it as if it were smooth glass.

Behind them, Gwen watched the place she had basically experienced true happiness and comfort move farther and farther away. It wasn't fair, she thought and pushed against Ben's alienated body – muffling her cries and tears.

Ben also tightened his grip on her, not to keep her from slipping, but rather to remind himself that: even though their beautiful sanctuary was being left alone, she was still beside him.

**If you are looking at this then you have probably read the chapter. So now, what I really want you to do – please – is review. Thank you.**


	9. Chapter 9: Desolation

**Part III**

Chapter 9: _**Desolation**_

Along their ocean voyage, Gwen learned that even thinking while moving at super-sonic speed was incredibly difficult. Opening her eyes was near impossible, and now she knew that XLR8's helmet shield was more than just a bug-deflector.

Only thirty seconds passed, and Ben had come to a halt on white sandy beach. There he allowed Gwen to be placed down. Directly in front of them was a large cemented foundation which carried a large city.

"It's New York City!" Gwen exclaimed as her eyes wandered around the buildings. They had landed on the large island's beach and were now becoming a tourist attraction.

People gathered above them at guard rails and looked over. They were dressed in tailored bespoke suits and multiple other business attire.

"What is that thing?"

"Where did they come from?"

"It must be for some festival, just look at that girl's clothing!"

Those were a few remarks that ignited a full-out conversation. Ben knew that staying in site of the public at that moment was a bad idea.

"Not Bellwood. Let's get outta here," he lifted Gwen up once more. After giving her a chance to take a breath, he launched himself back out at the water – wondering what the people were thinking now.

In less then five seconds this time, he stopped once more. This time they were on yet another shore, but with darker sand.

Gwen just about fell from his grasp and seemed quite winded.

"How do you even see where you're going?"

Ben ignored her and look remarkably at the port that was just a mile or two away from them. Familiar wooden docks jutted out into the ocean with boats equipped to them. A small and pale-yellow deli building was bordering it all.

His cousin walked up next to his alien form and took in the same sight.

"Bellwood..."

"Bellwood." Ben answered as if she had asked a question in disbelief.

For the meager minute they had been away from the island, they were both already feeling like outcasts. Their clothing was torn and outlandish. The fact that they might see their parents was horrible on its own. What would they say?

A flashback formed in Gwen's mind. Max Tennyson appeared to be walking out of the deli establishment with a slight grin on his face. A twelve-year-old Ben Tennyson stood in the center of a dock pouting while Max walked up to him.

A green flash emitted from XLR8. Ben had deactivated the Omnitrix and was now standing beside her in nothing but boxers that were too small.

"I don't think I'd be alright going around like this," he said while looking over his body and acknowledging his overgrown hair.

Gwen raised an eyebrow. He did look like a caveman who had just been unfrozen.

"Same here, but we don't exactly have the means to change our appearances."

"Sure we do. We just wait until the Omnitrix recharges, and then go and borrow some clothes from a store. You can even give me a haircut...just not too short."

"No way am I going to let you steal!"

To his surprise, Gwen walked over and kissed him, and afterward smiled and spoke again:

"Except just this one time. But _never_ do it again!"

Ben was confused, but kept a grin on his face. "Gwen I think something hit you on your head. Did you just give me _permission_ to steal something?"

"I know I usually don't approve of things like that, but what else can we do? See if our parents have some clothes we can borrow?"

"Ehh...I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Right. So...uhm...do you know any good places to...well...hit?"

Ben chuckled at her attempt to use underground vocabulary. "We haven't been around here for a while, so...no. Not any that I can remember.

Gwen put a hand on her head and seemed to be thinking.

"I do remember a store called _Attitude_ just outside of our old neighborhood. It's a business attire store."

"No way am I wearing a suit or collared shirt. No...no."

"Well," Gwen continued, "there is another place called _L's. _It's got a nice selection of clothing – if it's still there."

"Was it a big place?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"Then we can be sure it's still there," Ben said reassuringly.

"But," Gwen announced – emphasizing the word. "You'll have to go once the Omnitrix is back online. I'm not going anywhere like this."

Looking at her, Ben squinted his eyes in confusion. "What's wrong? You look fine. Well fine for someone who just came from an island in the middle of the ocean." He honestly could say she looked beautiful and carefree. She had a tropical flannel of vines draped around her waist and his old plain-white t-shirt. Her draping orange hair made perfect spikes with no split ends – an effect from the tropical weather and ocean washing – which ran into her eyes. She looked quite peaceful as well.

Placing her hands on her waist, directly on the flora skirt, she said: "This is all I'm wearing Ben..." Her cheeks then shaded to red.

"Oh!" he said, suddenly realizing why she was embarrassed to walk about people. He also felt grateful that she had trusted him all that time on the island so much that she felt comfortable wearing the skirt earlier.

"But me? Like I said...I don't look like I should be running around in public. I'd probably end up in a loopy-house or something."

Gwen blinked. "You're going to be XLR8, not Ben Tennyson, remember?"

"Oh yeah," he spoke sarcastically, "like an alien would fit in better."

This made Gwen smile, as she could obviously tell he was simply trying to annoy her – or make her laugh.

The conversation died down and they ended up sitting along the shoreline, reminiscing on how they used to do so on the island. _Their _island.

The waves crashed upon the shore, a few seagulls emitted annoying tunes from their mouths, and wind blew upon them as they gazed out to nowhere – just like on the island. All was still quiet of the annoying noises cities and society in general make.

Ben grabbed his cousin's hand as she lie her head upon his shoulder. "You know, no matter what happens later, I will always love you."

She squeezed his hand. "I know a lot of girls need to be reminded that they're loved, but I don't. I know you do and I will forever trust you on that."

"Will you?"

"I would never lie to you."

"Neither would I."

Ben shifted on the ground and fell backwards onto the sand. It was rough and grainy – not like the soft powdery bed they were used to. However, just to make sure she didn't have to feel its uncomfortable texture, Ben allowed Gwen to lie half her body atop him.

Rubbing his cheek with her hand, she spoke up to him softly. "I want to go back home, Ben, our home. The place you and I have grown together. Being here...I just don't feel like we belong. I know I shouldn't worry about what my mom might say – or anyone else – but I can't help it. I just do...no matter how much I don't want to. And even though I know they could never break us apart, their judgment...it still scares me."

Sighing, Ben did his best to console her. He too felt the same. "I understand...really I do. What's gonna happen? Are we just going to go back to sitting in our rooms, going to school – save for a few grades behind – and being restrained under our parents eyes? Even though we've been on our own for so long? Heck...they might even toss us in therapy for some stupid reason."

His job of consoling seemed to fail, as Gwen was now sniffling and appeared to have shallow breaths. He realized it and hugged her closer to him.

"I'm sorry. Just try not to worry. I'll make sure nothing bad happens. If...if they can't see us – the real _us – _then..."

"Then...what?" she asked with a gleam in her eye. She looked up at him. Not only did she then realize that he was the one thing she loved the most, but he was also her best friend.

Ben never did answer, but simply lie on the ground with her and watch their final sunset together.


	10. Chapter 10: Teaser

Mornings. Ben had remembered them to be welcoming and beautiful. Now, somehow, they seemed so different to him. The air did not taste as fresh – it was somewhat groggy like that of pollution. Even the sun seemed to be struggling to make its way over the ocean horizon.

He sat with his knees up to his face while Gwen lie on the sand beside him. She used to sleep soundly and lie flat out and stretched, but now she was curled up into a ball as if something was going to harm her.

In the distance Ben could make out the noises of a busy town. Horns and the faint sounds of dogs barking fluttered in the wind like bad music. He didn't like any of it one bit.

It wasn't until now did he begin to feel self-conscious about his own clothing and appearance. Back on the island there was no one around to worry about, but back in civilization there obviously was. Most people would tell him to shrug it off, but no matter how much he wanted to – he could not.

Gwen rustled beneath him and sluggishly opened her eyes, and Ben saw this as a chance to tell her that he was leaving. He had not wanted to just leave while she was sleeping, as he had no intention of worrying her.

"Not like our sand is it?" he asked her.

Yawning, she responded with a saddening sob. "No...it isn't."

"I know...and I miss it. But we're here now, and that means it's time for me to go borrow some things."

Ben winked at her, and she tried not to smile, which had become hard in recent years. Usually she couldn't stop scolding him – but that has all changed.

Looking towards the ocean, Gwen gave him the okay.

"Alright, just don't pick out anything too horrible for me to wear. Think of it as if you were picking out something for your girlfriend."

A typical teenager in this situation would have stopped to question why she had said _girlfriend _without meaning herself, but Ben knew quite well. They were not dating, they were not married, or together. They were companions in love – a real love with no impurities or synthetic feelings. They were two people who would respond to each other's needs with honesty and care.

"I'll make sure that it fits your style," Ben answered.

"Do you even know my _style_," she looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Not at all, which means this should be fun."

Quickly activating the Omnitrix and transforming into XLR8, Ben whisked off toward the port and onto the city streets. Gwen sat with a twinkle in her eye as he left.

**. . .**

Ben had left without knowing exactly where the clothing store called _L's _actually was, but it wasn't if he needed to. Going at the speed just below light, he could check out the whole town in under a minute.

XLR8's eyes were able to see frames at a much higher frequency than the human eye. This mean that, even though he was going very fast, he could still get a clear image of exactly where he was at.

He past by small business buildings and fast-food establishments, and was even able to spot the smoothy parlor him and his grandfather had gone to. It was still polished white with 70s interior decoration. And Ben bet to himself that the inside was still cold as ice.

Soon he came across a large parking lot which he had always known was there, but never really cared to figure out what kind of stores it held. He wasn't one for shopping.

Bordering the lot, he witnessed an extensive structure with a dark beige color and a big _L _plastered at the top-center. It was definitely what he was looking for.

Moving at the store, he stopped only to let the sliding door allow him entrance, and once he was inside he started to study the areas.

Of course, he wasn't left at peace. A few clerks behind a large mahogany counter spotted the blue-black alien looking at the signs hanging down from the ceiling. Needless to say, they did not ask him if they could help him find something.

One of them, a short brunette woman, picked up a black and square microphone from under the counter and her voice went onto the intercom.

"Security, we have a problem with a customer at the entrance," she said.

After she put the communication device back into its place she began to shout at XLR8.

"Hey man! What do you think this is? A Halloween party?"

Ben, with his simple mind – which had been preoccupied with looking for the correct clothing section – heard what she said and took it completely seriously.

"No not really. I'm not even sure what month it is." After speaking, he took off down the left – leaving the clerk with her eyes wide open.

In a few minutes, security arrived to find absolutely no one but a traumatized brunette woman.

_**. . .**_

Gwen was a person of patience. She did not react based on her instincts, but always thought things through. Her mind was an open plane of battles with her as the overseeing commander. It was hard to get her distracted and she would always attempt to use logic.

But right now, she was having a hard time doing those things.

Her knees were pulled up to her chin with her head tilted down. She missed the powdery sand of their island, and the sanctuary that the dark would bring on them. At night, she thought, the moon kept them just enough light to see the beautiful ocean water – everything was gone from eyesight. They could always hear the waves crashing against the shore, but not violently, as it was always like a soft melody. The wind would rustle crispy palm leaves while they slept – and the darkness would always protect them.

But now, being back in civilization – everything they had felt seemed to wash away. There now appeared to be things they _had_ to do, instead of peacefully choosing what they did. Their lives were coming back to being controlled again. Was it all worth it?

Gwen wanted to stop thinking like she had been – depressing thoughts – but they brought her peace. Knowing that she had experienced something so blissful made her smile. However, also knowing it had been torn away made her tear up. When people say life isn't fair – they're right.

She turned her head to look at a few fishermen working on their tarnished-white boat. They worked hard just for green paper, which they could in turn spend on something useless and meaningless.

The thoughts of money and spending brought her to thinking about how most men treated other women. They would try to acquire jewelry or flowers, or just some sort of gift for one another. She saw it all as pointless. Love cannot be bought.

The pearl necklace that Gwen wore around her neck, which Ben had gathered the pearls for, was different to her. He had not bought it quickly just to make her love him more, but he had spent months digging for the pearls. The jewels themselves did not make her happy, but how much effort he put into getting them for her did.

**. . .**

_She has to have some sort of style_, Ben thought as he stood as XLR8 in the woman's section of the clothing store. He had never actually browsed for clothes and usually had his parents do so. It wasn't as easy as pulling them off a rock and buying them. There was a good amount of mind into selecting something someone would like.

For all the time he had know Gwen, he had never actually thought about her choice in clothing. Usually she wore something simple like a t-shirt and Capri pants. But _exactly_ what kind of t-shirt would she like and around what length of pants are comfortable to her?

The blue-black alien sighed and scratched his head. "I really don't want to get something she _won't_ like. But I'm also afraid she won't be honest if I get her something she hates."

As he spoke, an older woman off in the distance stared at him just before dropping what she was holding and moving slowly away.

The store played an annoying elevator-styled tune, which the company must of thought people enjoyed because they were playing it at a very loud volume.

All the while, Ben finally spotted something that caught his eye as _Gwenny_. Two racks down hung a white shirt with blue short sleeves. On the chest there was a single word written in a blue cursive font. It read: Girl.

He didn't understand why anyone would put such a simple word on a shirt, but it looked like something his cousin would wear. Or at least something he thought she would look nice in.

However, the thought crossed his mind that Capri pants weren't going to cut the trend of the shirt. Instead, he ended up picking out a pair of dark-blue jeans.

XLR8 carried the attire in his left arm snugly while looking up at the ceiling. He noticed many security camera aiming down at him. With a grin, he said to himself:

"Unfortunately, nobody is going to know about any aliens that go shopping."

Using his speed, he dashed into the back of the store and went into multiple employee rooms until he came upon a circular security room. Multiple monitors were set up and playing live footage from different parts around the store. But as usual, no security guards or watchmen.

Pulling the AC plug from an outlet, Ben watched the visual die down until they were solid black. The sudden loss of power to the circuits was certainly going to cause damage to the playback – which was just what he had intended.

Without anymore distractions, Ben slid into the men's section of the store and quickly chose something for himself. It didn't take much thought, as he simply wanted something comfortable and wouldn't stand out. Reaching for a pair of white athletic shorts and a red polyester shirt – he decided that he was good to go.

Just before he left the store and made his way back to Gwen on the ocean shore, he remembered something that they would need but hadn't talked about. Shoes.

The two of them had gotten so used to moving about bare-footed that the accessory almost seemed completely pointless. But nonetheless, they would probably be a requirement if they planned on keeping their feet from getting any injuries in civilization.

Looking around, and ignoring a few people hiding behind things and staring at him, Ben was sure that the store had not one pair of shoes in its entirety. Racks of clothes and the occasional pair of sunglasses or baby-attire dotted a few twists and turns.

The little infant clothing appealed to him as adorable and caused him to feel sad for an unknown reason. At times, he had looked upon other families with small children with envy. Not that he would let anyone know – but maybe Gwen would understand? She seemed like the one person, to him, that was willing to listen as he was to her.

While in thought, he happened to spot a small section at the rear of the building that had white, orange, and the occasional black rectangular box. No doubt they were shoes, as some had a Nike swoosh plastered on the top.

In the blink of an eye, XLR8 had made it over to the shoes and looked upon them. He and Gwen had always worn the same shoe size, but last time any of them actual measured their feet was five or six years ago. He had to make an assumption, and quickly, as he was not sure how much longer the Omnitrix would hold out. If it were to give up at a near moment, then he would have trouble escaping from the store with the merchandise.

Taking a great estimate, and by putting a lot of thought into sizes, he decided that their feet would probably be in size nine at their age. But just to be sure, he got one size bigger than that. He probably would have tried them on, but he wasn't exactly qualified for human shoes at the time.

He chose a pair of white Puma track shoes for Gwen, as she had seemed to favor the thinner style, and a black pair of Nike tennis shoes for himself.

Just then, the Omnitrix decided that it was the Welcome-Ben-Back day, and wanted to play a extraordinary trick. It began to flash red and make a very distinct sound.

"Looks like I'll be going now," he spoke while picking up a bag of short socks and underwear on his way out of the store. Now that he was back outside he was sure XLR8's speed would allow him back to Gwen before the transformation into his normal self.

Focusing on holding all that he had gotten, and where he was going, he made it down to the docks in no time at all – almost literally.

**. . .**

Gwen had not moved since Ben had left, which was barely four minutes ago. Sitting and thinking about happy things while she was sad put her in a depressed mood. Did they really _need_ to confront their parents? Exactly what would that accomplish? Why?

She refused to think ahead anymore. They had decided on seeing them to try and integrate themselves back into society, no matter how much it killed them to do so. The two of them were dropping a utopia that many people could only wish for, just to catch a criminal. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she was sure that Ben had another motive for doing it.

Then a thought hit her. He only wanted to leave the island because of...

Unexpectedly, the wind picked up and a man about fifteen or sixteen flew behind her and landed directly on his chest – spewing clothes and shoes all over the sand.

"Hi," he said, while stumbling to get up.

"So how was the shopping spree?"

"Went smoothly. Now I want you to be honest when I show you what I chose for you. Like I said earlier, I don't really know your style, but I took some time into thinking about what you used to wear." Ben picked up the shirt and jeans he had taken for Gwen. Using his chin, he held the shirt upon his breasts, and using his hands he put the jeans up to his legs.

Gwen looked over the garments with a sheepish expression forming by her lips. "That's not half bad. I've never really worn jeans but those have a nice color to them. But...why does that shirt have _Girl _written on it?"

Ben shrugged and tossed her the clothes. Turning his back for the sake of simple decency, he gestured for her to get changed. "I want to get this done quickly."

"What's the rush?," she asked while undressing behind a dune of sand – away from the eyes of the public by the docks.

Ben was doing the same, but her was a bit quicker and was already tossing the white athletic shorts on himself. "It really isn't something I'm looking forward to doing. But it can't be that bad...there's only so much they can do to us."

The statement sounded vague to Gwen. "Ben...I'm starting to think there was really no reason to leave that island. We could have fended off Animo if he came looking for us. There was something else bothering you. Wasn't there?"

Finishing up his dressing by throwing the red shirt over his head, he responded: "Maybe..."

The girl behind him stopped what she had been doing and walked behind him. She had not finished putting her clothing on and stood in the white-blue shirt with a pair of the underwear Ben had gotten. Placing her hands on his shoulder she rested her head there as well.

"I'm never going to judge you for something that's eating away at you. I would and will always tell you anything you ask about me. Will you do the same?"

Ben sighed. He had never taken to being comforted by someone other than his own self often. Telling someone else about his inner thoughts and feelings – the ones that truly affected him – was a foreign teaching to him.

Using his larger hands, he placed them over hers – both now resting on his shoulders. "That whole time we were living on the island. There was always a hint of guilt in me. I could have gotten off and made mom and dad feel less worried. They didn't have to think we were...dead. The pain _I _caused them, Gwen."

Breathing slowly and kissing his neck, she told him why it was pointless to think like that. "There is absolutely no way to change all of it. Thinking about things that can't be changed, Ben, will just put you in a place of sadness. And now we're going to fix all of that, aren't we?"

"Yes..._we_ are."

Gwen smiled. He accepted her as being a part of him in the problem. She wanted to help and she was letting him. Not many guys would do so, as they typically thought it meant saying they were weak.

"And also," she started skeptically, "why exactly did we leave at the time we did?'

"Eh...I used Animo's monkey trick as an excuse. I don't really know if Animo himself remembers that he had animal spies in different places. For all I know, that thing could have been there for a couple years and just then found us."

There was a abrupt pause in his speaking, as if he was pondering a thought. Soon he continued:

"Just remember, _we_ aren't over."

That was the first time she had ever heard her cousin speak in cryptic words. It was almost too cryptic for her to decipher, but she understood the meaning – and it made her feel happy and warm, as he wasn't talking about their relationship.

**I think I've kept you waiting on the confrontation long enough. The next chapter will be all about the parental confronting. This story has maybe 1-2 chapters left. There isn't much else to tell about after the next chapter. Also, if you get Ben's meaning – I'd rather you didn't say so in any sort of review.**

**But still, review the chapter, please.**

**NOTE: FanFiction has recently been experiencing log-in problems. I'm not sure on an absolutely solution, but do remember you can sign anonymous reviews.**


	11. Chapter 11: The Pheonix

**Beware: This is most-likely a sad ending for all characters EXCEPT Ben and Gwen. However I try to rewrite this, I am never happy with any other ending. This is the way it was meant to be.**

**I am not afraid to leave it like this.**

Chapter 11: _**The Phoenix**_

"There's always time to turn back," he said to her as they walked up a neighborhood street, clad in their new attire.

Gwen looked at him briefly. "I never thought I would hear Ben Tennyson say that we should give up."

"This isn't giving up. We are a healed wound in our family. They've probably moved on and seeing us, Gwen, it could tear it open again."

She stopped and blinked – looking completely serious.

_He's right,_ she thought. However, just being right wasn't enough. Ben was feeling a heavy guilt for their parents depression and his feelings, right then, were more important than their state of mind.

"We've come this far," she spoke, "and _I'm_ not turning around. So what are you gonna do?"

He had been a little ways in front of her from the stop, but he stared back at her figure. Dressed in the casual clothes she blended in with society. Before they had left, Gwen had caught his hair with shears that they _borrowed_ from a barber shop. Using only scissors was hard work, but she managed quite well. His hair was similar to as he had it when he was twelve, but looked more mature with his adolescent features.

"I'd follow you, no matter where you go," Ben finally answered.

Thinking back to passed memories, she responded: "I know."

They took hold of one another's hand and walked down the neighborhood sidewalk as if they had lived their together for a while.

A few elderly people were outside of the homes they passed and looked at the two cousins – unknowingly to their relation – and smiled with warmth. Gwen smiled back at some of them while Ben simply waved. Something inside of him burned with envy – but envy of what? The same feeling had occurred when he saw the infant clothing at _L's_.

**. . .**

The houses they passed by were average sized – from what they remembered as _average_ – and occurred in different colors. Beige, pink, white – mostly bright colors. However, there was one that stood out amongst the others. And that was Ben's house.

It was made of brown wood with a green trimming to it – resembling a log cabin from Colorado. The windows were always blocked from view by panels or inside blinds.

The two walked up to the driveway – which held one car. It was familiar to the cousins, and that gave them hope that Carl and Sandra still lived there.

"Look Ben," Gwen pointed to the second story of the house near an upper corner. He looked with falling interest and anxiety. The thing he saw was a bit disturbing.

_His_ room window was slid open and they could see into it. Nothing abnormal about an open window, but what was inside of it was that which made him blink. He spotted a few Sumo Slammers posters and a dim light on which flickered wildly.

"It's a candle..." his cousin announced, squeezing his hand.

"Come on," he answered and they walked up the driveway and onto the porch.

Directly before them sat a door, a door which Ben had entered an exited hundreds of times. The roofed porch around them brought memories to him – some that made him smile and some that made him angry.

On a night coming home from his birthday, his dad had became angry with him for continuously talking back in the car ride. After getting grounded, he ran through the front door with tears of annoyance in his eyes. Parents never would admit when they were wrong.

However, other times they had come up to the porch after one of his baseball games and insistently complimented him on his two scores. They even offered to go get him a new drink called a smoothy.

"You ready?" Gwen asked him, as they stood side-by-side.

"Yes."

Moving his fist up towards the heavy door, he gave three loud, audible knocks and then waited with a nervous tension.

They definitely did not look like castaways who had just returned to where humanity made its home. The two were dressed with a natural casualness like they were coming home from school.

Wind picked up and threw Gwen's hair around. Ben couldn't help but look at it as it danced with the melodies of the violent air. Her hair was beautiful and graceful – but kept its carefree look. It really was one thing that had never left them since the island.

Suddenly the doorknob on the door in front of them made a clicking noise and began to turn in a direction. Ben swallowed hard.

Opening slowly, a man, who looked as if he needed twenty cups of coffee appeared. He had brown eyes, but with a slight tint of green, and brown hair which decided to gray on the sides.

His eyes were weary as he spoke. "Can I...C-can I help...you?" He seemed to choke on his words as his eyes moved furiously from one of the cousins to the other.

_It's him, _Ben thought, _I know it is._ Even though he wanted to speak to the man, he could not. Ben simply stared as his mouth began to fall open.

Gwen noticed, and intervened. "We're looking for Carl Tennyson."

The sleepy man smiled. "Not many people come here looking for anyone anymore. It's usually us who looks for something...someone." With a sigh, he answered, "I'm Carl Tennyson."

Even though he smiled slightly, Carl continued to inspect the two in front of him. He wanted to say something to them – to tell them he remembers their faces from somewhere. But Sandra had warned him about thinking about it too much.

"We need to talk to you...may we come inside?" Gwen questioned.

Typically, a man in a house would not let complete strangers inside, but something about the two on his porch made them feel known – almost like family.

Carl stood aside and offered his hand outwards – directing towards the living room. "Can I get you...anything?"

The two walked inside and instantly gazed around like they were health inspectors. Ben remembered everything, and nothing seemed to have changed. The walls were still a dull white color and the big-screen TV still existed in the living room. He and Gwen even took to sitting on the same couch that his mother had wished him her last goodbyes. Years ago...

Finally, Ben gained the will to speak once more. "No thanks, we're kinda in a rush."

Gwen looked at him with a curious expression on her face. _A rush?_, she wondered, _for what?_

Just as soon as the words came from the teen's mouth, Carl's mind flew in different directions. _That voice...her orange hair...their eyes!_

Right before he was about to yell a name that he had not said for years, but which had once been common to him, a shattering sound came from the kitchen doorway.

"My god..." a woman's voice, familiar to both Ben and Gwen, said just after glass cups fell to the floor.

"Sandra," Carl cried in surprise when he heard the sound of glass hitting the wooden floor. "What's the matter?"

She ignored her husbands furtive question and stared at the two visitors with interest. For moments she stood, speechless. Though soon the happening subsided and she scrambled for a broom behind the kitchen door frame.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized, "the two of you startled me. Is there anything we can help you with. Oh and would you like a refreshment?" Her voice was sweet just as Ben had remembered it.

"No thanks," the teenage boy started – who notably did not look like much of a teenager anymore, "... uh, "Mr. Tennyson already offered us something." Ben inwardly sighed as he dodged almost calling the man _dad_. Gwen gave him another look of confusion. Something wasn't adding up to her, by now she was sure Ben would have confessed something to them. But he obviously was struggling with something.

The three of them, save for Sandra who was cleaning up the glass, sat in the living room with silence. Both Carl and Gwen looked outwards as if waiting for something to be said. Ben, however, looked slightly harmed by emotional battles. His eyes were on his mother and father consistently.

The entire moment would have been awkward if anyone but the two cousins had shown up. Something about them sent the two parents a message saying everything was normal.

In Carl's mind he was sure something was naturally familiar about the two people before him. Years had gone by in which he believed that the familiarity would never return to him, but the two strangers in his living room were sparking that feeling back up. The pain him and his wife had to shut out was returning. And he couldn't stand it.

"Well if there isn't anything that you two need then I guess we wouldn't be of much help. You remember where the door is?" That was the polite way of saying leave.

Nodding, Ben stood, but his arm was latched onto by Gwen. She stared him down in wonder – not being able to talk about their private matter in front of other people. They looked at one another until she could tell that he was pleading with him to follow his lead.

The cousins walked to the front door, followed by Carl who showed them out. Gwen headed out first and Ben tailed behind. They stood on the porch and Carl gave them one last glance.

"Goodbye," Ben said to Carl with sincerity. It was the one thing he had wanted to say to him and his family for a while.

Gwen shot back around to face the inhabited doorway. Knowing what she was about to do, Ben took hold of her – whirling her back around to him – and finally kissing her.

Surprised, Carl shut the door with a light click – saying to himself, _It wasn't them...they would never have done that_.

Pulling away from him, Gwen could only watch as a pitiful tear came down his cheek.

"What happened back there?" she questioned. "Why didn't you tell them who we are. Why didn't you explain to them that we're alive."

"Gwen, can't you see? Their still healing from what happened to me. To all of us. The pain is there, and presenting ourselves to them will just patch up that pain. Bringing their son back cannot heal them. Time will and can."

"No," she said to him, furrowing her brow, "can't you see? They miss you, Ben. And by the looks of it, your room has never been touched since you left!"

He let go of her and turned away – to face the warmth of the midday sun. It was then Gwen realized he wasn't going to answer and that Ben Tennyson had finally came up with his own philosophy.

Moving beside him, she took his hand as they started down the driveway and onto the sidewalk.

"You really have changed, Ben." She bit her bottom lip. "Where are we going now?"

"Off to your house."

Catching on, she answered, "So I take it we're not going to admit anything to them either? Just saying goodbye?"

Ben shook his head.

"I understand saying goodbyes and all, but I really can't go through with that. I'd rather be a bit less intimate this time."

"That's fine," he said to her as they rounded a corner. "I don't think you would really want to know what it feels like to stare at the people that you once spent your entire early life with. Just to have them think you're a ghost. That you're dead."

She winced at his obvious feeling in the statement. It had been a while since Ben had acted so unfocused and so serious. Although she knew there were some things he wasn't telling her – it was only a matter of time before he did.

Through their years together, Gwen had realized that there were no more lies – no more cover ups and no more tricks between them. Not many people could honestly say that about a loved one and believe it.

His attitude, though, she knew it was different in the city. Even hers, she could admit, was different and more assertive now that they were back..._home_. In her mind, it wasn't for the best. As they had witnessed – people had moved on. Ben's parents seemed to still draw back to that one day, but they would eventually move on as well. And forget...

**. . .**

They now sat atop a rooftop of a house just across where Gwen's parents used to live. They watched the house with patience as their bodies felt the warmth of the falling sun.

"Do you think they still live there?" she asked.

"I don't know, and I can't really guess. Someone planted shrubs and bushes along the driveway, but that could be just your mom's professionalization taking over."

Gwen and Ben were lying slanted on the tar-tiled roof – just watching, waiting.

After a minute or so, Gwen came to his side and put one arm around him, sighing. "I don't like this, Ben. It doesn't feel like I thought it would. I don't feel anxious about seeing them again, or even happy. They've been away from my life for so long..."

"It sounds like you're getting angry at them. Don't. It wasn't their fault."

She scolded him slightly."I know that, it's just...did they even _bother_ to look for us? Did they ever find out what happened to Grandpa?"

He sighed, and ran his hand through her hair. "I don't know if you want my opinion, but I think it's best if we don't know."

Lights lit up the left side of the street they sat overlooking. Moving at about 20mph was a white van, which looked quite new. It started to slow down as it approached Gwen's old house.

"My parents never owned a white van..." she looked down and across at it with worry. What if her parents had moved? They would have no idea where they could have gone.

Ben simply waited until the vehicle pulled into the driveway and finally stopped – releasing the strain on the engine.

Whoever was in the car certainly took their meticulous time in whatever they were doing, as it was taking them minutes just to open the door.

After another moment, a faint clicking sound hovered lightly in the chilling night air. The sun strained just to keep a small amount of light amongst the Earth.

A woman stepped out of the car. She was dressed in light business attire and on her cell phone – carrying an extravagant purse with her.

"Is that her?" wondered Ben.

Gwen squinted. "I...I'm not sure. I mean...it kind of looks like her. And if it is...they must have gotten a new car. My mom's always been really business-like. Just remember how much she used to make me work on my school work..."

Ben smiled. "Yeah I remember you saying how she actually printed you a work packet to do over the summer when you were 11."

They continued to watch the woman walk up the front lawn sidewalk and up to the front door. What was really odd was that she didn't pull a key out to unlock the door. She knocked.

"Maybe she's some saleswoman," offered Ben.

Then, the door opened and someone who the cousins saw as familiar appeared. It was Frank Tennyson – no doubt.

"Dad..." Gwen whispered.

Her father had given her a bit more freedom. He was a timid man who usually had taken Gwen places when her mother was working or simply too busy. They had done a lot together, and if he had wanted to, he could have raised Gwen himself. He meant a lot to her. Seeing his face again brought a tear to her eye.

Frank gave the woman in front of him a warming hug, which was obviously Natalie Tennyson. She pulled the phone away from her ear and returned the gesture. The two of them walked into the house and shut the door.

There was a silence on the rooftop that the two onlookers were sitting upon. They had witnessed a slight enigma. There were a few pieces that didn't seem to fit.

"They could have bought a new car..." Ben nudged her.

Sniffling very slightly, she returned, "Yeah...they just might have." Sitting up, and leaving Ben lying there, she continued. "But they...they don't seem as sad about my disappearing as your parents did. I mean...your mom and dad have never even touched your room since you left. My parents look so happy and accomplished...and they probably don't even remember I had a room..."

"That doesn't mean they don't miss you, or didn't feel hurt when you left, Gwen. If anyone, just think about how much it had affected your dad – the guy who put down his paper work for his job to take you to the park. And the guy who would sometimes sit down and do his best to help you with your homework when you were having trouble. He loved you...they loved you. And I'm sure they still do."

The words meant a lot to her, as it was Ben saying them. He was doing his best to recall memories and put them into a statement.

"But why don't they seem like they miss me?" she wondered – still staring at the house with a sense of disbelief.

"Because they've learned to move on. My parents haven't yet, but they eventually will. They can't be sad their whole lives...they've mourned and now it's time for them to go forward."

Gwen turned to look at him. He was still lying on his back comfortably on the rooftop, enjoying to higher view.

"I think there's been enough serious Ben Tennyson for today. And what I really miss now is my goofy cousin."

He smiled at her, and moved his Omnitrix wrist up to his face. Turning the dial and transforming into XLR8, he held his arms out to her.

She went into them and he jumped off the roof with no trouble, and, using the alien's speed, they dashed down the road and headed back to the shore.

Passing by streets and congested stop lights, he finally felt the air get a little cooler as they came onto the rough, sandy beach.

Putting Gwen down and pressing the Omnitrix symbol, he transformed back into his human self. As soon as he felt the air upon his skin, he also felt his cousin fall into his arms.

They stood like that for almost half an hour. Simply reminiscing the past events and what could never be. Maybe it wasn't how they planned everything to go about – everything to happen, but it was satisfying. There was no need to bring ghosts into the real world.

The winds picked up and caused their skin to form goosebumps. The sun had dissipated to another side of the planet and left Ben and Gwen in slight darkness. The docks that were a quarter of a mile down the shore kept a little light for them to see.

"What do we do now?" Gwen asked as her head rested upon Ben's shoulder.

"You sleep..." he said to her, stroking her hair and running his fingers in circles on her back.

She was a bit weary. "And what will I find when I wake up?"

"As far as I know...you're birthday is tomorrow. And I want to give you a present that will last a lifetime."

A smile stretched upon her face and she released herself from his grip and fell onto the sand. Looking out at the void-like ocean and starlit sky, her eyelids began to close and cover her vision. It seemed as though she was leaving a life – completely this time – and being reborn into a more blissful one.

After ten minutes, when the watch had recharged, Ben turned into XLR8 and dashed into the city streets to take care of unfinished business – and then head out into the ocean, alone.

**End of the story _Shining so Bright_**

**. . .**

**Epilogue**

Ken was leaving for college. He had turned eighteen and graduated high school just a few months back. Now it was time for him to carry on with his life.

Frank Tennyson heard the boxes in his son's room being taped up and things thrown into empty ones. He sat in his study on the second story – looking at a picture of his beautiful daughter that had been snagged away from his life.

She was gone and now his son was leaving. He had grown up.

Keeping his eyes on the picture tucked comfortably in the picture frame, a pair of hands found their way into his as his wife sat beside him on a spare chair.

Frank laughed softly. "You know...if she were here...she'd be driving now."

Natalie returned his half-hearted smile. "Yeah...she would."

**. . .**

Sandra Tennyson made her way up the stairs of her dark home. It was just before 10:00pm – Ben's bed time. Her hands trembled as she walked towards a place that she hadn't entered for years but to simply relight a candle.

Turning the doorknob, she stood and looked inside. _Was it really time to do this?_ she wondered.

Another set of footsteps made their way up the staircase and eventually behind her. "He said goodbye," Carl said.

Sandra nodded as they bother walked in their lost son's room. Kneeling down, she blew out the candle – wiping away the pain of a memory, but never the memory itself. To her, it felt as though someone was finally leaving her instead of distantly lingering around.

The flame was gone.

**. . .**

Her eyes opened to witness a bright blue sky and white puffy clouds reigning freely about the sky. A warm breeze brushed up against her skin and caused her hair to fly in different directions. It reminded her of the _island_.

However, something was a bit overly familiar. She was still lying down, but the sand wasn't rough or grainy. It was soft and powdery as well as welcoming. Behind her she heard the comforting screeches of animals and noises of gulls. Almost like...

"Happy birthday, Gwen Tennyson," Ben said, standing over her with a grin on his face.

She sat up and looked around. A warm feeling arose in her chest as she witnessed what was around her. Water...sand...and a small jungle in the very center of it all. Her eyes obtained a happy, as well as surprised look that made Ben laugh.

He sat himself next to her and gave her a heart-warming kiss.

"This is the best birthday present I have ever gotten. And I would have never thought my dweeby cousin would be the one to give it to me. Thank you, Ben."

"You're welcome."

Maybe they were delusional. Maybe they were both crazy for wanting to live like their hearts wanted to. It's even possible they were lost in a fantasy. However, none of the skeptical opinions mattered to them. They were there, with each other, and they were happy.

_. . ._

_**Story dedicated to Alice Sebold and her Susie Salmon. They might not know what happened, but we do.**_


	12. Statistics

Days Worked On: 63 Approx Time Per Day: 1 1/2 hours - 4 hours Time Editing: 439 minutes Time in Peer Editing:

- The following are quick amateur jots that may or may not have actually made it into the story. They are just notes. Nothing more -

Notes to bring up in later chapters:

First kiss is broken by plain sound in the sky. They look around the sky for whatever was making it, but were unable to find it.  
...moving on...  
"Gwen...what were you just doing a second ago," he asked her.  
She stopped to think.  
"Well I was getting a coconut-"  
"After that."  
"Then I brought it over her-"  
"No Gwen...like *just* a second ago."

*Big Revealation: Last Scene: Max is flying far off in a helicopter. Ever since that day where they were lost at sea he had never given up hope of finding Ben and Gwen. In the helicopter, he uses binoculars to zoom in close on a far off island. He spots two people, one with shaggy brown hair and the other with long, gracious orange hair. He was even able to make out two blue berets in the girl's bangs. The pilot asks him if he wants to take a closer and see if anyone is on the island - as he cannot see them with his unmagnified vision. To most people they would have seemed like nothing more but mere savages. Max looks down at his robotic arm,  
with a frown. "No," he replies - and they take off in another direction.

During their time on the island, ignite noises of rumbling in the sky. Have it be continuous from a week's span.

It took all of this, just for him to start being nice to her. (Remember "I trust you." line)

Bleeding causes one to feel light-headed and disoriented. It can also cause migrains and weak muscle control - meaning to have problems standing or lifting heavy objects.

Ben should appear stiff during his time of healing, and moving was something that took lots of effort for him to accomplish.

(AT NIGHT) Ben sitting somewhere and looking at the stars, and how they shone so brightly. Gwen comes over and sits next to him. They do not say a word to each other for a few minutes. Finally Ben takes hold of her hand, causing her to turn and face him. He tells her that he's ready to know what really happened to his grandfather. *First kiss* After hearing all gwen has to tell him, he slowly lets go of her hand and turns back around-  
to face the open sea again. "All this time," he said, "I thought I was the one saving our butts. But really it was Grandpa."  
Gwen moved over towards him. "Ben...you're not being fair with yourself.  
You have saved us who knows how many times. If I had to really say so,  
you are as great a person as Grandpa was."  
He looked at her again, their heads close and eyes locked. Their breaths seemed to compete for enough space between their mouths.  
Suddenly, Ben hit Gwen lightly on her shoulder with a smile. She did not say a word, but simply replied by hitting him back in the same spot.  
He smacked her arm a bit harder this time, and she did the same - but on his cheek.  
Ben aggresively took hold of her shoulders and shoved her towards him,  
but he could not think of a threat or a way to get her back. He had no idea what to do with her now. Instead of attacking her with anymore punches or slaps, he sieged her with something much more mutual.  
A kiss. 


End file.
